They're All Somebody's Little Girl
by boswifedeb
Summary: While helping the LAPD with a string of murders involving prostitutes, Matt is struggling with having to keep a secret from CJ - for her own safety. Not my characters. Rated T for adult situations and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**They're All Somebody's Little Girl**

****This story takes place immediately after "Rustler's Blues"****

**CHAPTER 1**

CJ Parsons-Houston watched as her husband of six months leaned on the wall of the patio watching the traffic below. Something was bothering Matt, but hard as she had tried, he wouldn't talk to her about it. He and Uncle Roy had been spending a lot of time in Matt's office. His office had always been a joke among the employees of Houston Investigations. It was the least used room in the suite of offices that sat high atop the Houston Industries building which Matt had built when he came to Los Angeles several years ago. Back in those days he was in the oil business, as well as a host of others - including soybeans and blue jeans. But almost four years back he had given up all of his businesses – with the exception of the detective agency. All of them had been put into a trust for charities and were being run by Murray Chase, Matt's former accountant and vice president. Murray was now CEO of Houston Industries and enjoying the challenge. Matt no longer had any ties to the corporation other than the fact that it bore his name – and he liked it that way.

Just as she was about to go out on the patio and try to talk to Matt once again about what was eating at him, the phone rang. Chris came to the door and told her that Lt. Hoyt was on line two for Matt. CJ stepped to the door and called his name, with no response. She walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder and he jumped like he had been shot. "Sorry Matt, I didn't mean to scare you. Hoyt's on line two for you." He gave her a smile and went on in to answer the call. Something just wasn't right and she was determined to find out what it was.

"Hey Hoyt, what's going on?" Matt sat down on the couch as he answered the phone. The smile immediately disappeared from his face. "Another one? When did that happen?" He listened to the reply from the fifteen year veteran of the LAPD. "Where?" Hoyt replied again. "Okay, I'll head that way." He hung up the phone and hesitated for a split second before he got up off of the couch.

"Got a new case?" CJ walked over to him as he stood up.

"Yeah and no. More like another victim by the same killer." He put his arms around his wife and hugged her close. "Matt, what's bothering you? I know something is going on, please let me help you." She looked up into those big brown eyes of his. "Everything is fine, darlin', don't worry." He started to head toward the door, but she held onto his arm. "No it isn't. Tell me what's going on." Matt stroked her cheek with his thumb. "CJ, I…" He looked into her eyes. "Tell you what, let's talk tonight over supper, okay? I love you, be back as soon as I can. Hoyt needs some help." He kissed her and then he was gone.

As Matt drove to the scene of the latest murder, he thought back over the case so far. Lt. Michael Hoyt hadn't called him in on this one at first, but after the fifth victim he called the one man that he knew he could trust – Matt Houston. Matt had wondered why he hadn't called sooner and had finally asked him just that morning when the call for help came in. Hoyt had been feeling pressure from the higher ups; they felt that he was depending too much on outside help – a term that Matt had simplified. "So in other words, they think you shouldn't call me, is that it?" Hoyt was in a bad spot. "Look Houston, you know how it is when we get a new chief. You've been through this before. Every one of 'em has said the same thing, and then when something like this maniac and his killing spree happens, they change their tune to "we need to use all available resources." That's their favorite line after a while." He didn't blame Houston for feeling mad or hurt – the man had done more to help the people of Los Angeles than most of them would ever know. "Look man, just ignore it for the tripe that it is, okay?" Matt had agreed, but Hoyt could tell that he was hurt. But there was something else going on with Houston and the police lieutenant just couldn't put a finger on what it was. He was supposed to be on the way up to meet Matt at the office when he got the call for the new body.

Houston pulled up to the crime scene. He was greeted at the edge of the police line by veteran cop Larry Carlisle. "Aha, so they finally got smart and called in the cowboy. It's about time!" Larry shook his hand as he held up the tape for Houston to pass. "The lieutenant is just inside there." Matt nodded and walked on into the cramped apartment. There on the bed was the latest victim. "What have you got so far, Hoyt?" Matt slipped on a pair of leather gloves and crouched next to the body to get a look at the wounds.

"Pretty much the same as the others. She appears to have been stabbed repeatedly. We've got an ID on her. Emily Renee Withers, age 24, lives here. Another hooker." He pointed to the small bathroom and Matt followed him to it. "Same meds here on the counter as the other four. She was HIV positive."

"And still hooking, huh?" Matt shook his head. "But then most of the folks who make their living that way aren't doing it because it's what they really want to do – it's more of a have-to-do-it-to-get-by type deal." The police lieutenant nodded his head. "A lot of them have habits – bad habits - to support." Matt looked around the bathroom and headed for the shower. "What about the drains in the shower and the sink? I don't guess CSI has made it in here to that yet, have they?" He turned and looked at his friend who shook his head no. "Not yet, but they are on the way. Cheryl Crawford to be exact." Matt nodded. He knew and respected the crime scene tech and knew that she would do a good job.

Hoyt watched his friend. "What exactly is it that you're hoping to find out from the drains, Houston?"

Matt slowly turned and Hoyt could see the gears clicking in his head. "Well, you haven't found any sign of blood outside the crime scenes. You know he's leaving either through a door or window since you keep finding windows unlocked. As much blood as there is…" he walked back out to the bedroom, "he's gotta be cleaning up or he's wearing something in here and then putting it in a bag or something to carry it out." That thought hadn't even occurred to the lieutenant. "Well, that makes sense, but I'm sad to say that it hadn't occurred to me." Matt walked back into the bathroom and opened the cabinet under the sink, poking through a couple of bottles of cleaner, neither of which, from the condition and smell of the bathroom, had been used in quite some time. He stood back up and walked over to the shower. "Hoyt, have you got a glove?" Michael handed him a latex glove which he used to turn the bottle of shower gel around. There on the back was a bloody fingerprint. "Gotcha." He pointed it out to Hoyt. "Son of a …" The police detective walked closer. "That would be the first print we've found at any of our crime scenes." Matt nodded. "They always slip up somewhere down the line, maybe this will be our break." He gave Hoyt a grim smile then walked outside of the apartment where he started examining the front window. Hoyt followed and they both stepped out of the way for Cheryl Crawford. "Hey Houston, how's it going?" She smiled at the tall private investigator. "Maybe better than it has been." He told her what he had found in the shower and explained his theory about the drains. "After the bloody finger print on the shower gel, I'd say you might very well be right. Good catch, bud." She gave him a high five and continued on into the apartment.

"Where are you going now?" Hoyt watched as Matt headed down the stairs. "To go look out back and see if anything catches my eye." The police detective nodded his head and took off down the stairs. As the two of them made their way around to the end of the building, Hoyt decided to try his luck.

"So, how are things going with you and CJ?" He looked at Matt who smiled. "Good." So evidently the reason for his quiet behavior the last couple of weeks wasn't CJ. Hoyt couldn't imagine what else it could be. "Everything else going okay?" Matt gave him a sideways glance and then kept on walking. "Yep_." Damn those one word answers! _he thought to himself. Running out of patience he grabbed Matt by the shoulder. "So what in the hell have you been so quiet about lately?" There, he had finally said it. Matt dropped his head and sighed, then looked over at his friend. "Everything is fine, okay?"

"Well, then act like everything is fine!" His exasperation was at the boiling point. Matt stopped and turned to face him. "What in the hell are you talking about?" Michael looked at the man, turned his back to him and then spun back around. "You know, you're almost believable, but not quite. Need to work on it a little more, PI." Matt sighed and walked on around behind the building leaving Michael Hoyt to seethe by himself for a moment.

Once around the back of the building, the private investigator looked up at the second floor. The victim's window was the third from the left. He didn't see any signs of traffic through the window. Matt walked closer to the building and checked out the ground right underneath it, but didn't spot anything. Turning around and facing away from the building he looked at the trees while thinking about what he had seen inside. As he turned back toward the building, something on the roof caught his eye. He started back around to the front just as Hoyt made it to the back. "Find anything?" "Maybe." Matt headed on around the building and Hoyt sighed and followed him back around to the front.

The apartment building was two stories high, putting the victim's apartment on the top floor. Matt walked all the way to the far end of the second story and leaned out over the railing looking up. Michael caught up with him just as he climbed up the wrought iron railing. "Houston! What are you doing?!" Matt shimmied right up the railing as if he were climbing a ladder. Hoyt looked around and after a few choice words, followed the PI up the railing. There he was walking around on the roof. Hoyt saw him as he went over the ridge cap. Then he saw him stop and turn back around.

"Hey, you need to get Cheryl up here after she finishes the apartment. I think I just found something." Matt turned and walked on down the other side closely followed by Michael. When the police detective got up even with him, he saw something, too: there was a big eye bolt screwed into the roof. Houston turned toward Hoyt. "Somehow I don't think the roofer put that there, do you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

After they were done at the apartment of Emily Withers, Hoyt followed Matt back to his office where he parked his truck and then rode with the police lieutenant to visit the five previous crime scenes. Hoyt stole a glance at Matt while stopped at a red light. Usually he would have been cutting up telling a joke or talking about something that he had done as a kid, anything but just sitting there. Finally he couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Houston, look. I'm sorry if the deal with the chief made you mad. But I only have so much control over stuff like that." He looked over at his best friend. There was no reply at all, and not any sign that Matt had heard him. "Hey!" Matt jumped and looked at him. "Did you hear what I said?" Houston just sat there looking confused. "Uh, no. Don't guess I did. What was it?" Hoyt apologized again. Matt just smiled and shook his head. "I'm not mad about anything, okay?"

"No, it's not okay. Look man, you're my best friend whether you like it or not." At least that had gotten a chuckle out of him. "I'm worried about you. You haven't been acting like yourself for the past couple of weeks. And I'm not the only one. CJ is worried about you, too." Matt looked down at his hands and then over at Hoyt. "Look Hoyt, Uncle Roy and I are working on something; something really big that could…" He was searching for the right words. "It could change quite a few things if it works out. Only I can't talk about it, okay? It's literally top secret. And yes, I'm worried, but a little bit of worry could pay off big time for this country – hell, for the whole world." He looked out the window of the car. "I'm sorry if I've been rude or anything, I've just got a hell of a lot on my mind right now. I'm sorry."

Michael nodded. "Well, see now, that's all you had to tell me. And you don't have anything to be sorry about. You've just been worrying folks. We're used to the jolly, have-I-got-a-joke-for-you Houston." He looked over at a smiling Matt. It was working so he kept on. "The class clown, the…"

"You can quit anytime now, Hoyt."

"Alright, as long as we understand each other."

"We do."

"Good, 'cause if this went on for a little bit longer I was gonna have to kick your butt."

Matt completely cracked up over that one. "Now who's the class clown?"

"I resent that, PI!" Hoyt pulled the car into a parking place at the apartment of the first victim.

"How about you take me on the fifty cent tour here, okay?" Matt got out of the car and looked around.

"Okay, PI, here we go. Victim number one was Patrice Oakley, age 22, a hooker. From the medicine on the counter as well as testing at the lab, we concluded that she was HIV positive. Multiple stab wounds, lots of blood. Pretty much a carbon copy of what you just saw."

Houston was looking up at the roof. "Wonder how we can get up on this roof?"

"I think from the inside. If not, we'll roust out the maintenance guy." Hoyt led the way into the building. The victim's apartment was on the third floor of the four story building. He and Matt went through it just as they had gone through the crime scene earlier. Houston looked in the shower but didn't find any prints on the bath products in there. "I think we should get the lab to run these bottles for prints as well." Matt indicated the shower and Hoyt called Cheryl Crawford to let her know. "And don't forget the drains, too." Hoyt added that little tidbit and then hung up.

"Alright, let's look at the roof." Matt walked out into the building's hallway and found the roof access at the very far end of it. The door was locked. "I've got the manager's number here." Hoyt dug through his notebook, and found the number and began dialing. "Yes, I know it's been almost two weeks but the investigation is still ongoing. We need someone to open up the roof access." He rolled his eyes as the woman continued to complain. "Look the sooner we catch the person who is doing this, the sooner you can rent out the apartment, okay?" He hung up and reached in his pocket for an antacid.

Neither man said anything for a minute. "So CJ told you she was worried about me, huh?"

"She did. You know how lucky you are, don't you? That woman thinks the sun rises and sets on you."

"Well, she's wrong. It rises and sets on her." Matt smiled. "She's a big part of the reason why Uncle Roy and I have been working on….our project. Her and any babies that might come along." He hadn't said anything to CJ or anyone else, but he was starting to become worried that they might not be able to have kids.

Up the hallway came the maintenance man. He was a short, round, bald headed man wearing thick glasses and sweating profusely. It was obvious that he had been disturbed by the call to let the detectives up on the roof. Cursing under his breath, he opened the door and let them out onto the roof. "Make sure you tell the manager when you leave. I ain't got all day ya know!" He waddled back down the hall and tromped back down the stairs.

The two detectives found the section of roof over the victim's window and once again, there was a large eye bolt screwed into the roof. Hoyt pulled out his phone and called Cheryl again. "I know you're loaded down, but we've got more crime scenes to visit and it looks like you're going to be visiting them as well." Hoyt got off of the phone. "I think she might not like you as much as she used to." He grinned and they went back into the building and back down to the car.

Their visits to the other four crime scenes had the same results: a large eye bolt was found on each roof. As they drove back to Houston's office Hoyt was thinking about what they had found. "So I'm guessing that our killer used the eye bolt to lower himself down to the window to get in. But…"

Matt finished the thought for him. "How would he have known that the windows were unlocked?" They looked at each other and were quiet for a minute. Then Matt said, "Unless he didn't come in that way. Maybe that was his exit instead." Hoyt nodded. "It would make more sense. But he would have to have a rope rigged up beforehand."

After they got back to Houston's building and were riding up to the penthouse in the elevator Matt looked over at his friend. "I just want to apologize again." Hoyt shook his head no. "No need, I understand when somebody's brain is on overload. But you might want to tell the lady a little something because she is awfully worried about you. I know you don't want to tell her the whole thing, but tell her enough to keep her from being so troubled, okay? She deserves that." Matt nodded. "I already promised her we would talk tonight over supper." The elevator doors opened and both men walked into the office.

"Hi Chris, got a date tonight?" Matt loved to tease his secretary about her boyfriend, Murray Chase. The unlikely couple had really hit it off and was the talk of the entire building.

"As a matter of fact I do. He's taking me out to El Toreador. Ole'!" She snapped her fingers above her head.

"Well you two have a good time." Matt smiled as he headed on into CJ's office. "Hi there beautiful." He walked up behind her chair and leaned over to give her a kiss, then started rubbing her shoulders.

"Hello. Did you two boys manage to stay out of trouble?" She got up and walked over to the printer to get some papers that she had been working on.

Matt rubbed his chin as if in deep thought. "Uhhhh, I'm not sure. There might have been a little problem at the strip club, but we left in a hurry so – oomph!" CJ had pretended to punch him in the stomach. "Hoyt, you saw that, right? That's spousal abuse!" He put his arms around his wife pinning her arms against her body. "Guess I'll just have to restrain you!" Matt turned her around and gave her a much longer kiss. Hoyt rolled his eyes. "Oh geez! Here goes the newlywed routine again! How much longer will you be considered newlyweds anyway?"

Houston looked like he was giving the question serious consideration and then he and CJ both spoke at the same time: "Seventy five years." They both dissolved in laughter as the lieutenant stood there shaking his head. "Did you already have that answer worked out or are the two of you being psychic?" Both answered simultaneously: "Psychic." Hoyt just groaned. "Time for me to leave, I can't take any more. See ya tomorrow." He turned and walked back out to the elevator.

Matt pulled CJ back into his arms and the couple kissed again. He reached up and rubbed her cheek. "Let's go home and I'll cook you a steak, deal?"

"Deal. Let me grab my purse."

The two headed out to the elevator hand in hand and when the doors opened, there was Murray Chase holding a large bouquet of flowers. He blushed when he saw Matt and CJ. "You two have fun tonight." CJ winked at Chris, who blushed as well. Matt patted Murray on the shoulder and gave him the thumbs up as he got on the elevator.

On the way home, Matt made an extra effort to talk to CJ. He could tell she wasn't worrying as much as she had been earlier. The two chatted about Chris and Murray and wondered if there would be wedding bells in the near future.

Once they were at home, Matt made good on his promise and cooked steaks on the grill while she worked on making a salad. They ate by the pool and after they were done, walked down to the barn to check on the horses. Matt's favorite horse Cricket was up to her usual antics wanting attention and both Matt and CJ went for a ride on the back of the red sorrel. They stopped at the back fence of the pasture and watched the sun go down behind the mountains before heading back up toward the house. When they reached the pool, he asked CJ to come sit down with him for a minute. She sat in the chair opposite of him and he shook his head no and patted on his leg. CJ walked over and sat on his lap as he put his arms around her.

"I think I owe you an apology." He kissed her neck. "I know I've been a little preoccupied lately. There's something that Uncle Roy and I have been working on. Now don't ask me what it is, because I'm not telling you. But I will tell you this. Remember the conversation that we had up at the Banakee ranch? The one about my nightmares and the fact that I wished there was something that I could do to eliminate some of the hate and destruction in the world? Well, it has to do with that." Matt held her close. "I want our kids to live in a better world, CJ, a place where they won't have to worry so much."

She turned and rested her head on his. "I'm glad you finally told me. It's kind of hard to help and support you when I don't know what's bothering you. And we're a team, remember?" He nodded his agreement. "I'm sorry, CJ. It's just…it's a lot to think about and I just want to do the right thing. But I promise to try not to be such a wet blanket, okay?" She leaned over and kissed him and they stayed that way for several minutes before Matt picked her up and carried her into the house and back to their bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

The next morning when CJ and Matt arrived at the office there was already a package there from Lt. Hoyt. In it were the files on the case that they were working on now. So as CJ sat down to input the information into BABY, the computer that they used in their investigations, Matt poured a couple of cups of coffee and they both worked with the information that had been compiled so far. After a couple of hours Matt was analyzing what they had found.

"Alright, so here's what we've got in a nutshell. All of the victims were hookers, in their twenty's, and all lived in apartments. On the roof above each of the victim's apartments, there was an eye bolt found screwed into the decking. There was at least one window unlocked in each apartment. And a bloody finger print was found on the bottle of shower gel at the apartment of the last victim." He leaned back on the couch and thought about what they had gathered so far. "We need to find out if these girls were connected in any way, other than the fact that they were all hookers."

The phone rang. Chris came to the door of the office. "Houston, Lt. Hoyt is on line one."

"Thanks Chris. Hey Hoyt, how ya doin' this morning?" He paused and listened. "Hang on; I'm putting you on speaker." He punched a button and hung up the handset. "Alright go ahead. CJ is here with me."

"I just checked with the lab; no match on the finger print so far. They are expanding the search, so hopefully we'll get a hit."

"Alright. CJ and I just put all the files into BABY and were going over all the similarities. We're about to do some research on the victims and see if they had anything else in common."

"Okay. I'm just hoping I don't get a phone call telling me that there's another victim."

"I heard that. We'll holler at you later, bud. 'Bye."

"Okay. 'Bye."

Matt disconnected the call. "You know, I just thought of something. All of these women were taking medication for HIV. I wonder if they used the same drug store or clinic."

"That's a good question." CJ started going back through the information that had been collected and was looking at the pictures of the prescription bottles. "Out of the six victims, three were using the same drug store but they didn't use the same doctor and two of the others were using the same clinic – and that's where the prescriptions were filled as well."

"Wonder if we could get any help from the clinic that they were going to?" Matt looked over at his wife.

"Well, maybe. They were going to the clinic that Carol runs." Carol was Carol LeMasters, a sorority sister of CJ's as well as her and Matt's personal physician.

"That does improve our odds hopefully. You want to give her a call and see what you can find out?"

"I can do it. What are you going to work on?"

"I'm going to go back to the apartments of the victims that were using the same drug store and see if I can find out about their doctors. See ya later. Love you, babe." He leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"Love you, too." She watched as he went to the elevator and then she picked up the phone and called her friend's office number.

Matt got into the apartment of the third victim, Crystal Sheller. He started going through the stack of bills that were on the kitchen counter and ran across one from the West Side Clinic. Opening it up, he found charges for a doctor visit and for blood work that she had done. He wrote down the address and phone number for the place and looked through the rest of the bills as well, not finding anything else of interest.

He left Sheller's apartment and went to the fourth victim's apartment. Lacy Mulholland had lived in a lot nicer apartment than the other women. Matt found that she had also used the West Side Clinic. He didn't find anything else out of the ordinary and headed on to victim number one's apartment.

Patrice Oakley hadn't been nearly as neat as Lacy Mulholland. Her bills were scattered all over the kitchen of the apartment, some stuffed into the kitchen drawers. Once again, he found a bill from the West Side Clinic.

As he left Oakley's apartment, Matt called his wife. "Hey there. Did you hear back from Carol yet?"

"No, evidently she's really slammed this morning, but I'm sure she'll call as soon as she can." She took another sip of coffee. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes as a matter of fact I did. Oakley, Sheller, and Mulholland all three went to the West Side Clinic. You wouldn't happen to have a sorority sister there would you?" He grinned knowing that the answer would be no.

"No, not that I'm aware of. Are you going over there?"

"Yeah, I am. Wish me luck. I've got a feeling that I'm about to hit a brick wall without a warrant."

"Good luck. And Matt – be careful. I love you."

"Love you, too, Babe. See ya." He hung up and made his way over to the West Side Clinic where he found a very irritable and tired receptionist who didn't care why he was there if he didn't need to see the doctor. She made it very clear that there would be absolutely no cooperation without a warrant. So he headed back to the office.

As he rode up in the elevator Matt got to thinking about the similarities in the cases and he kept coming back to the fact that all of the victims lived in apartment buildings and that there was the eye bolt on the roof of each one. There was a chance that the killer knew a little something about rappelling. "Or maybe not." Matt began arguing with himself about it. He got off the elevator and walked on in to the office to find CJ talking to Carol on the phone.

"Really? Wow, who would have thought there would be that many? Okay, well look, how about dinner tonight? Yeah, I'll cook, just come on by the house when you get done. Alrighty thanks. 'Bye." She hung up the phone. "Evidently there is an outbreak of chicken pox going around. She's already dealt with about twenty so far this morning. The place is a mad house…even sounds like one." CJ made a face.

"Yeah, the West Side Clinic was a mad house, too. And the receptionist does not play well with others. She won't give us any information without a warrant." He walked over to the window and CJ could tell he was working through something in his mind.

"CJ, I've been thinking about the eye bolts. It seems to me that maybe our guy MIGHT know a little something about rappelling, but maybe not as much as he thinks he does." He looked at his wife and noticed the bemused expression on her face.

"Uh huh, and would you like to expound on your theory, Professor Houston?"

"Well, an eye bolt isn't really what a rappeller would use. There are other anchors that would be used. But if someone didn't know any better, an eye bolt would be perfectly logical." Matt started pacing back and forth in front of the window. "And something else. How did he get access to the roofs? Hoyt and I had to get the doors unlocked at every single one of the crime scenes – except the last one. I climbed up the railing to get on the roof there." He kept pacing. "And another thing. Using the roof and rappelling: folks would notice something like that if it was done in the daytime, wouldn't they?"

"Well, this is California, hon. There are plenty of strange things that go on every day and people just walk right on by."

"That's true." He came and sat down on the couch next to his wife and put his arm around her. "So what are you cooking tonight?"

"Good question. I haven't figured it out yet." She sighed. "But that is about the only way we're going to be able to snag Carol to answer a few questions. She is one busy lady right now."

"Well, whatever you come up with I'm sure it will be terrific." He turned her face toward his and gave her a long kiss. A voice right behind them brought the pair out of their trance. "Ahem, Mattlock, we need to talk." It was Uncle Roy.

"Okay." Matt gave CJ another peck on the cheek and then followed his uncle into his office. CJ knew that whatever they were working on was important but had to admit that she was a little upset because they wouldn't tell her what it was. She pondered on it for a minute and came to a conclusion. What they were working on was more than likely dangerous.

Matt closed the door behind him. "How did it go?" He sat down in his desk chair and faced his uncle who was sitting in front of the desk. "They don't want us playing with their toys. That's not to say if we find what we're after on our own that they won't jump on it. You know how the government can be." Matt nodded his head. "So basically we're on our own until we get some intel and then they want to come on board." The older man nodded.

Houston leaned back and put his feet up on the desk. "So we won't have any help from their satellites." Roy shook his head no. "Well doesn't that just figure? Okay, so we need a satellite of our own." He thought about it. "Do you know if the Japanese have anything like that available?" Roy shook his head again. "Great. Okay, here's a thought, not my favorite idea, but would the Russians possibly have anything for sale?" Roy shifted in his chair and gave Matt a look of disapproval. "I know you don't like dealing with them Uncle Roy, but really, what other options do we have right now?" He got up and started pacing around the office. "It's not like I can just wave a wand and look, there's a spy satellite." Matt leaned back against the front of his desk and looked at his uncle. "I guess you think I'm crazy for trying this."

"No I don't. Your motives are great, but the execution of the plan is going to be a royal pain. Especially with our government not wanting to share toys." Roy stood up. "I tell you what. I've still got some friends in low places that might just be able to help. Granted, they'll probably think I've gone around the bend…" he chuckled at that "but what the hell, that's nothing new." He patted Matt on the shoulder. "If there's a way to do it, we'll find it, boy. Don't worry." Matt nodded. "Thanks Uncle Roy. I just want to make things better for any kids we might have." He sat back down in the chair and gave a heavy sigh.

"You're not giving up on having kids already are you?" Roy turned and looked at the man that he was proud to call his nephew.

"No, it's just…I thought she would be pregnant by now. Guess our timing is just off, huh?" He smiled at his uncle.

"Just keep trying, Matt. Besides, it's an awful lot of fun, anyway." He winked at his nephew and walked out of the office whistling.

Matt walked out of the office and stepped over the back of the couch to sit down next to CJ. "I've got another idea. What about trying to figure out who the manufacturer of the eye bolts is? Maybe we can find out if they were bought from the manufacturer or from a home improvement store. That could lead us to our wanna-be rappeller."

CJ nodded and picked up the phone to call Hoyt. She put it on speaker and Matt asked him if the lab had figured out who the manufacturer was.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. They were made by the US Metal Fabrication Company out of Pittsburgh. But they went out of business about four years ago."

Matt closed his eyes. "Alright, do you know who they sold to? Was it home improvement stores or strictly to construction companies?"

"Construction and maintenance companies." Hoyt was silent for a minute. "Have you come up with anything else?"

"Well, I got to thinking about the eye bolts. I used to spend a good bit of time climbing mountains and rappelling. An eye bolt is not what an educated rappeller would use unless they didn't have anything else, but someone who didn't know might think it was a great idea."

"I can see that."

"Also, Oakley, Sheller, and Mulholland all went to the West Side Clinic. I paid the clinic a visit, but we won't get any cooperation without a warrant. Plus, we're going to talk to Carol LeMasters tonight – she saw two of the victims."

"Aha, that could sure help. Okay, that's about it from here. Still no match on the fingerprint and Cheryl is running DNA on the drain swabs. Oh, by the way, the Chief said good deal on the fingerprint. I think you might have won him over." He laughed at the last.

"Well, maybe I'm doing something right, huh? Tell you what, how about you come over for dinner tonight? Carol is going to be there and if you're there too we might just be able to come up with something."

"Sounds great. What are we having?"

"Well it's going to be a surprise, Hoyt. See ya there." Matt disconnected the call and looked over at his wife. "Any ideas yet?"

"No, guess it'll be a surprise for me as well." She got up and headed into her office leaving Matt to sit on the couch and ponder eye bolts.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Later that evening at the ranch, Matt and CJ were having dinner with Carol and Hoyt. CJ had decided on spaghetti and used a recipe that she had gotten from Mama Rosa Novelli herself. Mama Novelli was the mother of their good friend Vince, who had at one time held the job that was now Michael Hoyt's. The Novellis were living the good life in Hawaii these days running their popular restaurant.

Matt was sipping on a beer as the conversation turned to the case that they were working. When Michael and Matt told Carol about it, she had to think a minute before she remembered the two women. "I believe I've only seen them twice. Guess it sounds bad that I don't remember but we have a lot of patients there. Sometimes the face will look familiar but the name might not ring a bell. But now that I think back on it, these two stick out in my mind because of their occupations. Neither one was shy about telling me what they did for a living." She took a sip of wine. "Of course, I told them that they needed to find other employment…but you know how that goes."

"Do you know if they knew each other?" Matt was peeling the label off of the bottle and leaning back in his chair.

"Not that I know of, but I wouldn't be a very good judge of that. I only see folks once they make it back to the exam room, not in the waiting room."

"Would you tell us if they had any next of kin listed on their records? We haven't been able to find any so far for either of them." Michael was tired of dealing with this case.

"I don't know off hand, but I can look in the records tomorrow morning." She smiled over at the lieutenant.

"That would be a big help. Just call CJ and let her know if you would. We'll be in contact with each other on it." Hoyt looked over at CJ and smiled. "CJ that was the best spaghetti I've had in a long time – but if you tell my wife I said that I'll deny it." Everyone at the table cracked up. "Guess I better get home. Thanks for the dinner." He got up and gave CJ a kiss on the cheek and Matt got up and walked with him to his car.

"Well, I was hoping to get more out of that, but maybe we'll at least get the names of the next of kin." Houston looked down toward the barn where Cricket was raising a fuss wanting attention from him.

"Is there something wrong with that horse?" Hoyt looked in that direction.

"No, not other than the fact that she's spoiled. 'Course I don't have any idea how she got that way." Matt rolled his eyes.

Hoyt listened again. "Are you sure?"

Matt whistled and in seconds the sound of beating hooves could be heard. Hoyt looked like he was about to dive for cover as Cricket pranced up to her owner. "Cricket, give Hoyt a hug." The horse walked over to the detective and put her head over his shoulder. He started laughing. "Now give him a kiss."

"No, no that won't be…" Cricket did as she was told and licked the man on the cheek. "Necessary." He looked at Houston in disbelief. "You actually taught your horse how to do that?"

Matt shrugged his shoulders. "Not really, she just kind of picked up on it."

Hoyt shook his head. "Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow." As he got into his car he started laughing again. "Good night, Cricket." The horse bobbed her head in his direction causing him to laugh even harder.

Houston, followed by Cricket, walked back around to where CJ and Carol were still sitting at the table talking. "Guess I'll go on and take this wayward child back where she belongs and check on everybody."

"Okay, don't get lost down there." CJ watched as he nimbly hopped onto the horse's back and rode down to the barn.

"How does he make that look so easy?" Carol was amazed. "And he's not even using reins or a saddle."

"That's how he rides her half the time." CJ just smiled as she watched the man she that loved and his horse who loved him as well.

Later on after Carol had headed home, Matt and CJ were laying in a lounge chair out by the pool looking up at the stars. Matt shifted around until he had his right arm under CJ's head and with the left he brushed back her hair. He softly kissed her and then took her hand and kissed it. "I love you." He kissed her again. "Love you, too." She pulled him closer, kissed him, and whispered in his ear, "Let's go inside." He smiled and nodded, helped her to her feet and they walked into the house hand in hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Matt's night wasn't a long one. The phone rang at 4:15. The sleepy private investigator stifled a yawn as he answered. "Houston."

"It's Hoyt. We've got another. Actually to be precise, we've got two." Tiredness was apparent in the voice of the police detective. He gave Matt the address.

"I'll be there in about fifteen minutes." Matt sat on the edge of the bed trying to get his bearings and looked back over his shoulder at CJ. She was leaning on one elbow. "Got another one, huh?"

"No, got two more. In the same apartment." He fumbled with his jeans and boots, and then went to the closet and pulled out a denim shirt. Walking back over to the bed, Matt leaned over and gave his wife a kiss. "Guess I'll see you at the office. Love you, babe."

"Love you, too, Matt. Be careful." She lay back down and watched as he walked out of the bedroom, then rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

Houston found the apartment complex and pulled in behind Hoyt's car and headed up the stairs. The crime scene was on the top floor of the building. He was met at the door by Gene Rockbridge, a ten year veteran of the force, who was looking as if he was ready to throw up. "It's a bad one, Houston. Real bad." He lifted the crime scene tape for the private investigator who donned a pair of black leather gloves as he walked through the door. Hoyt was sitting on the couch next to a visibly upset young woman. He waved his friend over.

"Houston, this Carla Montgomery, the roommate of the two victims. She came home about 3:30 and found them." He motioned back toward the hallway. Matt nodded and looked at Montgomery. "What can you tell us about your roommates?"

"Well, Kristen is – was 23 and was attending Paralegal Institute. Leticia…well, there just isn't a nice way to say it…she…" The girl looked at Hoyt who helped her out. "She was a prostitute, right?" Carla nodded. "She was a really nice person though. Just lost her job about eight months ago and hasn't been able to find another one, so she…did that to pay the rent."

Matt looked around the room. "But Kristen didn't do that, am I right?"

Carla nodded. "No, she was working as a waitress at the Hen House – you know, the chicken place."

"Miss Montgomery, I've got to ask you a question and it may not be polite, but do you know if Leticia was HIV positive?" Houston hated to ask the girl that question, but they needed to know.

"Oh my gosh, no! I don't guess. I mean she hadn't been doing it long and she was always careful, you know. I don't think so." She started crying again. "She really was a nice girl. They both were." Hoyt helped her to her feet and handed her off to a female officer that had just arrived on the scene. He motioned for Houston to follow him. They walked down a hallway and into a bedroom. There on the blood-soaked bed was Leticia Hollings. She had been stabbed multiple times just like the other victims that they had encountered. Then Hoyt led him across the hall to another bedroom, and this time Matt found something that he wasn't expecting – the throat of Kristen Parker had been cut. That was the only wound on her.

"Bet she walked in while the killer was in the room with Leticia and he got rid of a witness." Matt looked around the room. Nothing appeared to be out of place. They walked into the bathroom. Hoyt looked through the medicine cabinet as Matt checked the shower. "Hey, the faucet is still warm." Michael turned and walked over there. "Did you check the bottles?" He handed Matt a latex glove. When he turned the bottles around there were no visible prints. They looked around the room some more. Matt went back into Leticia's room and checked the window – it was unlocked. "Guess we better go check out the roof." The two men walked out of the apartment and turned to the left. Just up ahead was the door leading to the roof. Matt reached for it and turned the knob and it opened right up. He looked at Hoyt. "He forgot to lock up." They headed up to the roof and once again found an eye bolt.

The private investigator heaved a big sigh. "Here we go again." He walked over the roof looking at it with his flash light. Nothing unusual caught his eye. "Still no word on the finger print I take it?"

"Nada. Not yet anyway." Hoyt rubbed his eyes and looked at Matt. "How in the hell are we going to catch this guy?"

"I don't know. I'm putting a lot of hope in that finger print." He rubbed his neck and looked up at the sky that was just beginning to show traces of the coming dawn. "We know that these two murders here were committed at night. I'm thinking the others were as well."

"I agree." Hoyt followed Matt as he walked back toward the eye bolt. The private investigator suddenly dropped down to his knees and looked in the gutter just below the bolt. "Hoyt, I may have just found something." There in the light of his flashlight was a piece of black cloth with what appeared to be blood on it.

"Yes!" Hoyt walked back to the other side of the roof. "Hey, Rockbridge. I want CSI to get up here on this roof first thing." The officer nodded.

Matt got back up on his feet and looked around the roof some more. "If the DNA on this cloth matches up with the shower drains and the fingerprint on the bottle…and IF we can get a hit on the DNA and the fingerprint…" He looked over at Hoyt and grinned. "Maybe this day won't be so bad after all."

A short time later Matt headed for his office. Since he was the first one in at 7:00 he started the coffee, then went to catch a nap on the couch for a little bit. He woke up at 8:30 to CJ shaking him with the phone in her hand. "It's Hoyt – they got a match on the fingerprint!" He took the phone. "Hey, what did you get?"

"The print belonged to Roger Bettenhouse, age 33, unemployed so far as we can tell. The last known address was on Brockton Avenue. Feel like taking a ride? I've got a warrant."

"I can do that. You want me to meet you there or are you coming here?"

"I'll pick you up. See you in a few minutes. 'Bye."

"'Bye." Matt hung up the phone and looked at his watch. "Guess I've got time for a cup of coffee." He turned and started toward his office.

"Uh, hon, the coffee is behind the bar, remember?" CJ watched her husband go in the completely opposite direction.

"Yep, but my pistol is in here and I'm taking it with me."

She walked over to the bar and poured him a cup. "You two be careful out there."

Matt leaned across the bar and gave her a kiss. "Yes ma'am. I promise. Love you, babe."

"Love you, too." A few minutes later, Hoyt called up to let Houston know that he was downstairs. CJ watched him go and couldn't help but feel a stab of worry.

A short time later Michael and Matt were heading west on Santa Monica Boulevard. Neither one had much to say. Matt looked over at his friend. "So, how's my girl Kathy doing?" Kathy Hoyt was Michael and Anne's daughter. She had been kidnapped by a child molester almost a year ago and Matt had taken a butcher knife to the chest when he tracked down the offender.

"She's doing great. Even entered another talent contest for this next weekend. I believe she's got her heart set on being a singer." Obviously a proud father, he smiled ear to ear.

"Well, she could do it. She certainly has a good set of pipes." Matt and Kathy had become good friends over the last few months.

The two rode along in silence for a moment, then Hoyt began laughing. Matt looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Got a joke to share, Lieutenant, or is it something private?"

"No, I was just thinking about that horse of yours last night." He shook his head. "She really is something else." He continued to chuckle.

"Yep, she's a smart one. But then so were her mom and dad." He had owned both of Cricket's parents.

They pulled up to the apartment that was the last known address of Bettenhouse. "I didn't ask you earlier – was this guy's finger print from a criminal record?" Matt checked his pistol as he got out of the car, then replaced it in the waistband of his jeans. A patrol car pulled in behind Hoyt's car and the two officers got out.

"He was trying to get a concealed carry permit a couple of years ago. Got turned down on the psych evaluation. I'm trying to get the details on that as we speak."

"Well, thank you Hoyt; that's so comforting to know." Matt rolled his eyes and the pair walked into the apartment building followed by the two officers.

"Here's a picture of him that was taken when he applied." Hoyt handed it to Matt who looked it over and then handed it to one of the officers that was there to help them serve the warrant. Houston shook his head and looked at Hoyt. "Hmm. Not to sound prejudiced or anything, but I'm not a shrink and I can definitely see that this guy looks like he's sharp as a marble." Both of the officers began snickering. Hoyt stopped in his tracks. "I have never heard that one before. Gotta remember that." He shook his head and headed toward the elevator. All four boarded and Michael hit the button for the third floor. It stopped and they stepped out, looking left and right to determine where apartment 310 was. Matt bumped Hoyt with his elbow and jerked his head to the right. The four men walked down that way and got into position on either side of the door with weapons drawn; Hoyt and Matt on the right and the two officers on the left. Hoyt reached up and pounded on the door. "Police! Search warrant! Open the door!" There was no response and no sound from the apartment. Officer Fuentes whispered, "Maybe he's at work Lieutenant." Hoyt knocked again and repeated the statement. There was still no response. "Fuentes, go down and get the manager to come up and open this door please. Anderson, go out and keep an eye on things out front. Make sure he doesn't go out the window." Both of the officers did as they were told. Matt moved to the other side of the door. Both men kept listening. Matt motioned for Hoyt's attention and signaled that he heard something. Hoyt nodded and they both listened.

It took several minutes for Fuentes to return with the building manager who started complaining the minute he stepped off of the elevator. Hoyt signaled the man to be quiet, but he kept on getting louder. Matt gave the man an almost evil look that shut him up. Hoyt took the key from him and unlocked the door, and signaled Fuentes to get the manager out of harm's way. He and Matt counted to three and then Michael quietly turned the nob on the door, opened it, and the two men entered the apartment. Matt motioned to the closet that was near the door and Hoyt opened it while Matt trained his weapon in that direction. It was clear. They moved on into the living room and looked around. Officer Fuentes quietly entered the apartment. To the right was the hallway that led to the bedroom and bath and to the left, the kitchen.

Hoyt signaled Fuentes to stand guard in the living room as he and Matt proceeded down the hall. The first room they came to was the bath. Hoyt entered and checked it out. No one was there. They went down the hall and went into the bedroom. Matt opened the closet and Hoyt swept the area with his pistol but no one was in the closet. Both men heard a gunshot come from the living room. They ran back in to see Fuentes on the floor and the door to the hallway standing open. Hoyt rushed over to check on the officer and Matt ran out of the door and down the hall to the elevator that was headed down. He could hear the lieutenant calling for an ambulance and for Anderson to be on the lookout for their suspect as he turned and headed for the stairwell. Matt hit the door at a full run and started down the steps looking over the rail. He could hear someone else running as well and as he was almost to the first floor, he heard another gunshot outside. Houston was just in time to see their suspect climb into a red Toyota minivan and put it in reverse, hitting the back end of the patrol car. The suspect's head hit the steering wheel and he was knocked out. Another patrol car showed up on the scene and Sgt. Larry Carlisle came running toward Houston. "Cuff that guy Larry! He just shot Fuentes and Anderson!" Matt ran back over to Anderson, but it was too late. The officer had been shot in the side of the head and was already dead. Officer Duvall ran over to Houston's side to check on Anderson. "I'm going back up to apartment 310 – Hoyt's up there with Fuentes, he's been shot, too." Matt took off for the stairs again and when he got to the apartment he found Michael sitting in the floor applying pressure to the gunshot wound in Fuentes' neck. Matt picked up the officer's wrist and checked for a pulse. "He's gone, Michael." The veteran lieutenant was near tears. "Anderson is gone, too." Matt took hold of his friend's shoulder and hand and pulled him to his feet.

"DAMN IT!" Hoyt was pacing around the apartment, then turned back to Matt. "Did you get him?"

"He tried to back out and ran into the back of the patrol car and knocked himself out on the steering wheel. Like I said, sharp as a marble."

"Just wait till I get him in interrogation…" Hoyt was so upset he couldn't even finish the sentence. He pointed at the slain officer. "His wife is eight months pregnant." Matt turned toward the window and heard the sirens of other police cars and ambulances drawing near. "I'm sorry Hoyt." He put a hand on the man's shoulder.

Matt and Hoyt began searching the apartment and didn't find anything incriminating in the least. "At least you caught the son of a bitch." Hoyt looked at his friend. "Maybe now we can get to the bottom of all of this mess."

"No I didn't; the idiot caught himself."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

After giving a statement on what he had witnessed, Matt went out and sat on the trunk of Hoyt's car and called CJ to let her know that he was okay. "How is Michael taking it?" She heard the anger and sorrow in her husband's voice. "Not good. He told me that Fuentes' wife is about a month away from giving birth. It's their first." That hit too close to home for both Matt and CJ who were trying to have a baby themselves. "Is there something I can do?" CJ felt completely helpless standing on the patio overlooking the busy street below. Matt didn't say anything for a minute. She knew he was doing his best to keep his emotions under control but she knew him too well. "Yeah, there is. Talk to Murray about setting up a Houston Industries fund for situations like this with the police department. Tell him that I would appreciate him doing it as soon as possible and tell him who needs to be taken care of first, would you?" She heard the catch in his voice. "I will hon. You take it easy, okay? And tell Hoyt I'm sorry. Love you, baby." "Love you, too, CJ. 'Bye." He disconnected the call as Hoyt came walking up.

"Okay, I can leave now. I was going to go break the news to the families, but Sanchez told me the chaplain is already taking care of it." He looked down at the ground and Matt saw him struggling with guilt. "Hoyt, don't blame yourself. And don't give me that look. This guy was planning on taking out anyone who got in his way. It could have been any of the four of us, or all four of us for that matter." Hoyt nodded and looked up at the beautiful blue sky with picture perfect puffy clouds. Matt told him about getting Murray to set up a fund for the officers and their families and the lieutenant gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks Houston." As both men started for the doors of the vehicle Matt stopped before climbing in. "I know money won't make their hurt go away, but not having to worry about a mortgage will help out in the long run." Hoyt nodded and got into his car.

Hoyt drove to the police precinct. As the tired looking detective got out of his car, his phone began to ring. After he answered, Matt could see that his anger had gotten worse. "That was Sanchez. The doctors are going to keep Bettenhouse for observation."

"I was afraid of that." He leaned against the car and rubbed his temples. "Look, I've been thinking. There wasn't any rappelling equipment in the guy's apartment. He's gotta have rope stashed somewhere. And it wasn't in his van either, I checked. I wonder if he's got a storage locker somewhere."

Hoyt's eyes brightened at that. "Good idea. Let's go upstairs and see what the nearest self-storage place is to his apartment." As they rode up to the lieutenant's office he looked over at Houston. "You know, you're pretty useful to have around. Guess Novelli was right about you after all." He gave Matt a smirk. "Even though I'm a PI? You know - a lightning rod for trouble as you're always so fond of saying?" "Yep, even though you're a PI." Michael looked up at the ceiling. "I just thank my lucky stars that you're not a cop." Matt reached over and punched him in the shoulder. "Alright PI, that's assault." They stepped off of the elevator and headed to the lieutenant's office, and stopped by the coffee pot on the way. Hoyt poured a cup for both of them and as they went inside his office he sighed. "At this point I wish there was more than just coffee in this cup." They toasted with their styrofoam cups. Hoyt Boggled self-storage lockers in the area and was rewarded with the information that there were in fact three in the area of Bettenhouse's apartment. He got the phone numbers and began dialing and hit pay dirt on the second call. "Okay, so now we go get a search warrant." He gave Matt a grim smile.

After nearly an hour of getting the run around, and then going to pick up Matt's truck, the two friends were finally on their way to the storage locker, warrant in hand. They were greeted by the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Flanagan, who appeared to be in their seventies. As the two investigators made their way to the locker, Mrs. Flanagan was giving Matt the third degree.

"Young man, where is your badge?"

"I don't have one, ma'am. I'm a private investigator not a police officer." Matt gave her one of his most charming smiles.

"Humph." She continued to assess him. "So why are you here with a REAL police officer?" Hoyt found this statement to be particularly funny and was trying not to laugh out loud.

"I've been asked to be a consultant to the department on this case, ma'am."

Mr. Flanagan opened the lock and stepped back to let Hoyt open the door. Mrs. Flanagan was still interrogating Matt as he slipped on a pair of leather gloves and Hoyt put on latex gloves.

"You don't look old enough to be a consultant."

"Well darlin' I do believe that's about the nicest thing anybody has ever said to me." Matt threw on the Texas cowboy charm as he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Are you sure you're old enough to be married to him?" He motioned toward her husband. It worked. She began giggling like a school girl and preening.

Matt stepped into the locker with Hoyt who was rolling his eyes. As they walked to the back of the locker the cop asked the private investigator what had changed her mind. "I was just being my sweet ole Texas self." He winked as they came across a big blue storage tub. "Bingo. Ropes and eyebolts." Matt opened the top the rest of the way. There along with the other equipment was a bloody knife. "Time to call the CSI's." Hoyt pulled out his phone as Matt continued looking through the locker.

As he waded through boxes and bins of what appeared to be mostly junk, Matt saw a container that wasn't as dusty as the others. There were hand prints in the dust showing that it had either been opened sometime fairly recently or that it had been moved. He waited until Hoyt was done with his phone call and then showed him what he'd found. "Looks kinda fresh, what do you think?"

"I think let's open it and see what this sick bastard has in there." Hoyt wasn't pulling any punches. Inside the tub were pictures – a lot of them. Matt picked up some off of the top layer and recognized two of the victims. "He's been taking pictures of them, Hoyt. Souvenirs I guess." The pair looked at the number of pictures in the bin.

Houston turned to look at his friend. "If he's killed all of these women, they didn't all happen here in LA or if they did, he changed his MO." Hoyt nodded. Flipping over one of the pictures, Matt noticed that the name was written on the back. "He's been writing their names on there. Well what do you know – he's actually helped us out." He surveyed the rest of the locker. "Guess we're going to have to go through all of these boxes, huh?"

Michael gave a big sigh and nodded. "I want to nail this guy with as many charges as we can find, Houston. Looks like we're going to be here for a while." He pulled out his phone again and called his office for more help, while Matt pulled out his phone and called CJ. "Hey, Hoyt and I could use some help. Is Uncle Roy there?"

"No, he's off working on your, uh, project." CJ still wanted to know what it was that the two men were up to.

"Okay, do you have some jeans or something there that you don't mind getting dirty?" Matt was pretty sure the answer was yes.

"Sure, where am I going?" She was already headed downstairs to change. Her husband told her the address and what she would be doing. "Alright then I'll see you in a little bit."

"Thanks, babe. Love you. 'Bye." He hung up the phone. "CJ's going to come help us." Hoyt nodded his approval. "That's good, because from the looks of it we could be here a long time."

A little while later, CJ came walking up to the storage locker with lunch. Both men dove in and declared war on it. "I see y'all have an audience." She nodded toward Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan who had now brought a couple of chairs, an umbrella, and some iced tea to watch the show. Matt had moved his truck back to the locker and they were using the tailgate as a table for sorting through the boxes. The temperature inside was sweltering and Matt's shirt was untucked, unbuttoned, and the sleeves were rolled up as far as possible. Even Hoyt had ditched his dress shirt and tie and was down to his t-shirt. "You boys are going to be a royal mess before this is over with. But I think Mrs. Flanagan is enjoying the view." The two men looked at each other and grinned. Matt leaned over and gave CJ a peck on the cheek. "That's okay, as long as we nail this guy. Thanks for helping, CJ."

By three o'clock that afternoon all of the boxes and bins in the locker had been sorted through. Anything that could possibly be related to the crimes was loaded aboard a rental truck and taken to the lab and everything else that was purely unrelated junk was put back into the locker. Matt closed the tailgate on his truck and was getting ready to leave. "Houston thanks a lot – for everything." Hoyt stuck out his hand.

"Anytime, you know that." He shook the man's hand. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, and I'll bring the doughnuts." Hoyt rarely made a cop-doughnut joke, but he was in a good mood after finding so much evidence against Bettenhouse.

Matt grinned. "I'll take you up on it. See ya." He took off his shirt, got in the truck, and waved goodbye to Mrs. Flanagan who seemed disappointed that it was all over.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

As Matt pulled into the driveway at the ranch, his phone rang. "Hey Uncle Roy. How's it going?"

"Well I've gotta say boy, your idea about the Russians was a good one. They have one available. But it's kind of pricey."

Putting the truck into park and shutting off the engine, Matt bit the bullet. "How much?"

"Ten million." Roy was holding his breath. He was reasonably sure that Matt had the money, but would he really want to part with that much for it?

Matt put his head on the steering wheel. "Can't talk 'em down any lower can you?"

"That's as low as they'll go. I tried."

"Do you think they would talk to me?" The tired private investigator rubbed the back of his neck. CJ was watching him from the kitchen window and knew that he was probably talking to Roy. He didn't seem very happy either.

"I don't think so, but I'll ask. It will be tomorrow before I know anything. Is that okay?"

"Whatever it takes." He thought for a minute. "Uncle Roy, I can do ten but I'd rather not, you know? I mean if I absolutely have to I will. But I would sure like to leave something healthy behind for my kids."

"Aha, so you haven't given up, huh?" Roy chuckled.

"No, just got a little discouraged is all." He laughed. "Look, I'd love to talk more, but to be honest with you, my butt is dragging out my tracks. It's been a rough day." Matt explained what had happened.

"I hope you two can nail him to the wall, Matt. Go get you some dinner and rest up good. Sounds like tomorrow might be another rough one."

"Thanks. See you later. 'Bye." He hung up, got out of the truck and headed into the house where CJ was waiting for him. "Boy, you sure did get nasty today. If I didn't know better I'd think you'd been working cattle."

Matt gave her a tired smile. "Think I'm going to go get a shower and wash off about ten pounds of dirt." He leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"What do you say about an omelet for supper?" She ran her hands down his arms and took his hands in hers.

"Sounds like a good idea. Love you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed back to the shower. After waiting half an hour she went back to check on him and stopped at the door of their bedroom. He had showered and gotten on a pair of shorts – before lying back on the bed and going to sleep. She gently picked up his legs and put them over onto the bed that he was on diagonally. He never budged at all. CJ gave him a soft peck on the cheek and turned out the light before leaving the room.

An hour later, the phone rang. It was Murray wanting to talk to Matt about the fund for the police officers' families. "Murray, he's asleep but I can …" She looked up just as a bleary-eyed Matt walked into the den. "Hang on, he's here." CJ handed him the phone and went into the kitchen to fix him an omelet.

"Hey Murray." Matt followed CJ into the kitchen and had a seat at the table. He watched as she worked on the omelet.

"Houston, CJ told me what happened. That's just awful. But I want you to know that I've got the fund started and partially funded. We'll be able to expand it more after this quarter is up in another month. But it is more than enough now to take care of the two families."

"I sure appreciate it Murray. Look, I know it's not my business anymore but I just wanted…"

Murray jumped in. "Houston, no matter what, it will always be your business. Anytime you want to add another charity I'll do it in a heartbeat. You know that."

"Thanks Murray. I just had to do something. It's been a really bad day. Hard to take, you know?"

"I'm sure it has been. You sound beat. Try to get some rest, huh?"

"I'm planning on it. Thanks again, bud."

"Not a problem. 'Bye." Murray hung up and was gone.

Matt turned off the handset and walked over behind CJ and wrapped his arms around her. "I think my few minutes turned into an hour. Sorry." He kissed her neck.

"No need to apologize, hon. You're tired. Anybody would be after a day like today. Come on and eat."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Matt showed up at Hoyt's office about eight o'clock the next morning. As he opened the door the smell of fresh doughnuts wafted to his nostrils. "Man you sure smell a lot better than you did yesterday afternoon, Hoyt. Oh wait, that's the doughnuts. Never mind." He picked one up and took a bite.

"Very funny, PI." Hoyt picked up a doughnut and leaned back in his chair as Matt sat down across the desk from him with the cup of coffee that he had gotten in the outer office. "Do you have any idea what I had to go through to get this box in here without losing a single doughnut? There's about five hundred cops in this building you know."

Houston raised his styrofoam cup in a toast: "I salute you."

"Yeah, right. Well, I've been informed that we won't be able to interrogate Bettenhouse until sometime tomorrow. And – get this – he's already hired an attorney: one J. William Detwiler." The lieutenant rolled his eyes. Detwiler had a reputation as "Attorney to the Underdog".

"Unh. Not impressed. CJ could beat him with both hands tied behind her back." He reached for another doughnut. "Ya know, I remember a few years ago when he was still considered an ambulance chaser. Whatever happened to those good old days?"

"Don't know. I also don't know how Bettenhouse could afford to pay the guy, nor do I know how he paid his rent. There's no record of his employment for the last six years." He pushed a paper across the desk to Houston who picked it up and began reading it.

"Detwiler could be doing the case pro bono. Last known job was as a maintenance man for Tillman Properties." He took a sip of coffee. "And how many of the last six victims lived in an apartment owned by Tillman Properties?"

"Don't know that either. I thought you might want to check on that and let CJ use her keyboarding skills to check into Bettenhouse's bank account." The lieutenant pondered another doughnut momentarily and decided to go for it.

"We can do that. Might give us a little more ammo for his interrogation tomorrow." Matt drank more of the coffee. Both men were silent for a moment then Houston spoke up. "I'm going to assume that the CSI's are making up a list of all of the names on the pictures?"

"Yep. I'm expecting a partial to be sent to me at any moment." As if on cue, Sanchez knocked on the door and Hoyt motioned him in.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir. This just came from Cheryl Crawford." He handed an envelope to the lieutenant and stood looking at the box of doughnuts.

"Thanks, Sanchez." He looked over the list. Sanchez hadn't left yet and was still eyeing the box of pastries. Hoyt wasn't paying attention so Matt reached over, picked one up and handed it to the young officer who gave him a smile. Matt smiled back and said, "Gotcha. Now you owe me a favor." Sanchez took off out of the office like a scalded dog. Without looking up Hoyt told Matt, "That was one of your doughnuts, you know."

"Tell you what, how about I take that list with me and get started on it and you take the next one?" Houston took another sip of coffee.

"Alright, let me make a copy." The lieutenant walked out to the outer office and ran a copy. As he came back in the door Matt was reaching for another doughnut. "Nope, PI, the last one is mine. You gave your last one to Sanchez, remember?" He handed the list to Matt who stood up to leave with a hurt look on his face. "That's just low, Hoyt." Houston walked out of the door and Hoyt walked back around his desk with a big smile on his face – until he realized that he had been played. Matt had eaten the last doughnut while he was out making the copy of the list. "Damn PI, just like a lightning rod."

Matt headed back to his office wishing that he could have seen the look on Hoyt's face when he found out that he had been scammed. As he pulled into the parking garage his phone rang. "Hey Uncle Roy. Got any news for me?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. After talking to the supplier a little more and complaining about the age of the satellite and all the possible upgrades that would have to be made to it – not to mention the fact that no one else has even offered him anything for it he caved. Does five sound better to you?"

"Yeah, a hell of a lot better. Phew. You did good, Uncle Roy. I'm impressed. You're quite the horse trader."

"Just treated it like a used car deal. Same principal but no tires to kick." The older man had a good laugh.

"Alright, now the question is where and how?" Matt was hoping that Roy could handle the rest of the deal – he was just too busy to be able to leave.

"When can you have the cash?"

"Would tomorrow be soon enough?"

"I believe he'll jump on that like a duck on a June bug. Where will be someplace neutral. I suggested the Bahamas."

"Okay, so we'll be getting all the paperwork to go with it, right?"

"All included. I feel good about the deal boy, he's desperate."

"Alright. I'll get it together today and give it to you tonight at the ranch, is that okay with you?"

"Fine. I'll see you later."

"Thanks again. 'Bye." Matt hung up the phone feeling a good deal better than he had the night before and very grateful that his uncle was capable of finding exactly what they needed.

Riding up to the office in the elevator, Matt's mind was a jumble of everything going on: the Bettenhouse case, the satellite deal, and worrying about being able to have kids. _Alright Mattlock, you're the one who has been telling CJ not to worry, just relax. Take your own advice and let nature take its course._ He stepped off of the elevator and told Chris good morning as he walked on into the office. CJ was sitting at the poker table going over some papers. Matt came up to her, nuzzled her neck and kissed her. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

"Sure, what's going on?" CJ followed him to the patio doors.

"I need you to take care of something for me. You know the project that Uncle Roy and I are working on – well I need you to get $5,000,000 together for me – cash."

CJ gave him the look that he had expected. "Is that all?" She was obviously shocked.

"No, I haven't lost my mind and I'm not trying to break the bank. But I need it by tonight." He was absolutely serious.

"Matt, this isn't illegal is it?"

"Not exactly. Let's just say that certain members of the government are fully aware of what we're trying to do and support us – just not financially or publicly. At least right now."

"Okay." She thought about it for a minute. "Matt, I know you have good intentions, but are you sure you really want to do this? I know we don't have anything to worry about financially, but this is a big hit to your wallet."

He stepped closer and took her in his arms. "CJ, this will pay off in more ways than just financially. It could help make the world a more peaceful place for our kids."

She rubbed his jawline and saw how sincere he was, then nodded. "Okay, I just wanted to be sure. I'll get on it right now."

"Thanks, babe." He gave her a lingering kiss before he headed back into the office and sat down in front of BABY to begin working on the list of victims' names as she headed off to take care of the job he had given her.

Matt started with the first woman on the list after Leticia Hollings. He and Hoyt had both noticed yesterday that there was no photo of Kristen Parker – confirming their suspicions that she was an accident, not a target.

Margery Sawyer had been murdered three months ago. She had been a prostitute, HIV positive, and lived in an apartment. Matt didn't see anything in the report about an eyebolt being found. He continued on down the list gathering addresses. There were thirty six names on his list, including the six victims that he had already been working on. He called Hoyt after he had gathered the addresses to ask if eye bolts had been found on any of the roofs in those cases. "No, but I doubt if anyone had any cause to look on the roof. They need to be checked." "Alright," Matt replied, "guess I better get my butt in gear and get to checking. 'Bye."

Hoyt hung up. If the private investigator hadn't just happened to see the sunlight glint off of the first one that they had found they might not be building such a good case right now.

Matt walked into CJ's office and found her on the phone. He kissed her cheek and told her he would be back in a while and she nodded, mouthing "Love you" and Matt answered her back, "Love you, too." Heading out to the elevator, he stopped for a second to talk to Chris and let her know where he was going in case CJ wondered when she got off the phone. After teasing her for a minute about her relationship with Murray, Matt got on the elevator and headed on down to his truck.

Twenty minutes later he pulled up in front of the apartment complex on Longoak. He found the manager's apartment and rang the bell. A short chubby lady answered and invited him in, thinking that he was a prospective tenant. When he explained to her why he was there, she began telling him all about what had happened. Not wanting to be rude, Matt politely nodded and "uh huh'ed" where needed and finally got the conversation worked around to the fact that he needed to see the roof over the apartment. Apparently Mrs. Wilton had found the case to be absolutely fascinating and took him to the roof access and directed him to the part of the roof that he needed to see. And see he did – a big eye bolt just like the others. Matt pulled out his phone and called Hoyt. "Guess what I found."

"Another eye bolt? Okay, I'll call Cheryl." Hoyt picked up his office phone and called down to the already overloaded CSI. Matt could hear the conversation and knew that someone's day in the lab was about to include several trips around town collecting eye bolts. Hoyt came back on the line. "Alright, they've been notified."

"Do you want me to stay here until they get here?"

"No, I don't think…well, maybe you should. Man this is gonna make for a long investigation. We're going to have to check out every single roof." Hoyt thought for a moment. "Hey, is Roy available? Another investigator would sure make this go faster."

"Uh no, he's out of town." Matt wasn't about to tell him that he had gone to the Bahamas to buy a used satellite from the Russians.

"Uh huh, well that's a shame. Next time you find one, just call Cheryl directly – you know how much she loves you." He snickered at the last.

"Not nearly as much as she did last week, I'll bet." He started to hang up. "Hey, I've got an idea. What if Cheryl just followed me to these addresses and we bagged and tagged as we went, instead of wasting time waiting for someone to show up?"

"Yeah, that would save a lot of time. I'll call down and tell her."

"'Bye." Matt hung up the phone and waited for the CSI tech to show up. He walked all around the roof and checked the surrounding area as he waited. It occurred to him that it might be helpful to use a map indicating all of the victims' addresses, so he called CJ.

"Hi, I was just about to call you. The money will be delivered by 3:00 – is that okay?" She was still wishing that he and Roy would let her in on the project.

"That should be great. Thanks for taking care of that." He told her what he had found and about the list of victims that he had brought back to work on, as well as his idea about the map.

"Good idea. It could show a pattern. I'll get to work on the victims and add to the map as I get to each one."

He continued to wait for Cheryl Crawford, then remembered that he needed to call Uncle Roy. The phone was answered on the first ring.

"Uncle Roy, CJ just told me the money will be at the office at 3:00. You would probably be wise to take the jet."

"Alright, guess I'll be flying first class today for sure." The older gentleman seemed to really be enjoying his role in the project.

"Why do I get the feeling that all of this makes you feel like the good ole days are back again?" Matt knew his uncle missed working for the CIA as he had done until about fifteen years ago.

"Not exactly; I was usually working against the Russians – not buying toys from them." He chuckled. "I'll call you when it's all done."

"Okay, but you be careful and watch your back. I don't trust too many people these days." Houston knew his uncle was wise in these matters but couldn't help but worry about him.

"Just remember the saying, Matt: "In God we trust, all others must be verified." Talk to you later." Roy hung up the phone smiling. When his nephew had first approached him with this idea he had initially rejected it. But the more he thought about it the more it made sense. Both he and Matt had worked for the government at one time or another and done the same exact thing that they were about to undertake now. As Matt had pointed out, the government more than likely already had people, most likely the CIA, doing what he wanted to do, but they would never admit it.

Matt had also pointed out that he and Roy had personal reasons for wanting to undertake the project and might be a little more diligent than some analyst for the CIA. Roy's son, Will, had been a POW and had been rescued from Afghanistan with the help of Matt and others.

Roy dialed a number and it was answered by a man with a thick Russian accent. "I'll meet you at the agreed upon spot tomorrow at nine in the morning, island time."

"Very well. I will see you then." The man disconnected the call.

Roy went into the bedroom to pack a bag for the flight and then headed to the office to wait for the delivery.

Matt had spent another thirty minutes up on the roof waiting for the overworked tech to show up to process the scene. CJ called him while he was waiting on her to finish.

"I got into Bettenhouse's bank account. Quite extraordinary when you consider he supposedly didn't have a job." She read him part of the print out. "I faxed it to Hoyt already. He thinks it is definitely an interesting little bit of information."

"How in the hell does somebody without a job have this much money in the bank?" He thought about the deposits. "All the deposits are cash. No checks were deposited or written. It was all cash only." After pausing for a minute he asked, "What did Hoyt say about it?"

"He's like us, how in the heck did this guy do it?"

"I'm starting to wonder if he's getting paid by someone to keep quiet or…," the gears in his head were clicking, "maybe he was helping someone." He paced around the roof for a minute. "Maybe he has a partner in crime?"

"That sounds possible. I mean that was a lot of women to kill. And we still don't know how long it's been going on."

"And what I'm wondering: if he or they used eye bolts on all of the roofs, you know some of them have been re-shingled by now more than likely."

"Maybe the maintenance folks would know if there was anything like that found up there if they have been reworked."

Matt stretched his back. "I've got to get back to work on this list. Love you, babe."

"Love you, too. Be careful, okay?"

"Yep, I will. Talk to you later." He headed back down his truck and pulled out his phone as he went to tell Hoyt about their idea. Michael's reaction was the same as his. "Oh boy, this could take a while."

"Tell me about it. I'm headed back out with Cheryl now. Talk to you soon." He hung up as he got into his truck and started back out working on the list with the CSI tech following in her van.

After making twenty more stops at different apartment complexes and waiting for the tech to take care of the evidence, Matt decided to call it a day. He called CJ's cell phone and discovered that she too, was on the way home. "Good, 'cause I sure have missed you today. What do you want for supper? My treat." He knew she had been sitting in front of the computer all day and probably didn't want to cook.

"Whatever my handsome husband brings home is fine with me – as long as he comes home." She smiled and could tell he was smiling, too.

"Alright, see you in little bit. Love you. 'Bye."

"Love you, too. 'Bye."

After wrestling with the decision over supper, Matt ended up with pizza. He knew undoubtedly that both of them would take a bite and say it was good, but not as good as Mama Novelli's. They both missed being able to drop into her restaurant that she had owned in LA.

Matt got home a little while later to find CJ waiting for him with a bottle of wine, candlelight, and some soft music. He smiled as he took her into his arms. "Guess you really did miss me, huh?" She answered by handing him a glass of wine. They toasted each other. With a kiss, she took the pizza box from him and set it in the microwave and led him back to the bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Matt thought he was dreaming. Surely the phone wasn't ringing. He halfway opened his eyes and discovered that yes, it really was ringing. Answering sleepily, he found out that it was Michael Hoyt on the line.

"Houston, you aren't going to believe this, but we've had another victim." He was sounding as tired as Matt felt. The private investigator sat up on the side of the bed. "You mean like the others? But we've got Bettenhouse in jail! Son of a…" Matt didn't finish the sentence. "Well then I guess our other theory was right; looks like there's more than one of them. Where is it?" He took down the address and hung up the phone. CJ rolled over onto her elbows and raised herself up to look at him. "So he wasn't working alone. I've been wondering. That was an awful lot of people for one person to have killed."

"I've been wondering, too, but I sure hoped it was just the one sick…" He left the rest of it unsaid as he finished getting dressed. He reached into the bedside table and pulled out his pistol, checked the load and gave CJ a kiss. "Love you, babe. See you later."

"Love you. Be careful." She lay back down in the bed and looked at the clock. It was 2:00 am. She heard Matt's truck start and go down the driveway. As hard as she tried she couldn't go back to sleep again, so cursing Bettenhouse and whoever else was killing the women, CJ got up and took a shower, then dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and went to the office. There was no telling what they would get into today after the previous couple of days and she wanted to be ready for anything.

After arriving at the office a little after 3:00, she made coffee and got back to work on researching the victims. Hoyt had faxed another list sometime after she left yesterday, so she had even more work to do. "Just as well I'm here early."

Matt arrived on the scene of the latest murder. It was a dirty, cramped apartment above a Chinese restaurant just off of Pico. He walked up the stairs and under the crime scene tape while pulling on a pair of gloves. There was Hoyt in the middle of a Chinese couple who spoke very little English. Matt walked in and they started in on him, but he gave them the timeout signal. Apparently they understood, because they got quiet. "I've got a translator on the way. Can't wait till she gets here." Hoyt looked exhausted. "She's in here." He led the way back to one of the bedrooms and there lay a young woman, approximately twenty two years old, stabbed multiple times just like the other victims. The pair crossed the hall to the bathroom and Matt looked at the bath products in there, but there weren't any visible fingerprints. He felt the faucet – it was still warm.

He started back out of the bathroom. "What about the roof?"

"I haven't been able to get up there yet." He indicated the Chinese couple who were extremely upset. Matt looked at the lady and pointed to the bedroom, then to the lady, and then made a motion as if rocking a baby. She nodded. "She's their daughter, Hoyt." Matt patted the lady on the shoulder and walked outside trying to find a way to get to the roof. He went down the outside stairs and around to the side of the building where he found an access ladder that was in the locked position. Looking around the alley, he moved a dumpster and a couple of crates, then climbed up onto the dumpster and jumped, grabbing the rungs of the ladder. After a couple of half jump-half pulls, he got his feet on the rungs and went on up.

"Oh hell, no, you do not expect me to do that." Hoyt watched as the PI went right up the ladder as if nothing had been in his way. "I'll wait down here; let me know what you find." Matt gave him the thumbs up and went over the wall of the roof. Hoyt looked at the alley around him but didn't see anything that caught his eye. He looked back up at the top of the ladder where Houston had disappeared. "Maybe I'm getting too old for this stuff."

Matt stuck his head over the edge of the roof. "Send CSI up when they get here." Hoyt nodded and the PI disappeared again. In a few minutes, Charlie Mason pulled up in the CSI van. The weary lieutenant flagged him down and told him to go up on the roof first. Mason walked over and looked at the locked ladder and then at Hoyt. "How in the hell did you get up there?"

"I didn't – Houston is up there."

"Oh, well that explains it then." He looked up again, then moved the dumpster out of the way.

"What are you doing?" Hoyt was completely puzzled.

"I'm going to cheat – the van." Mason started the van and pulled into the alley just under the ladder and then climbed on top of it and easily went up on the roof. Hoyt followed suit.

Matt was walking all over the roof sweeping it with his flashlight. He showed Mason where the eye bolt was and called Hoyt over. "Do you notice anything different about this one?" He looked at the lieutenant.

"Well, uh, no I don't, Houston. What is it?"

"It's turned a different way than the others. All of the others were turned where the side of the ring was taking the weight – not the top."

"So it is." Hoyt looked down at it and looked around the roof. "Did you find anything else?"

"No, but I've just got a feeling that I can't really explain. Kind of a hunch." Matt turned off the flashlight. "I don't think that our killer tonight actually used the eye bolt. I think it was planted here for us to find – so that SOMEBODY could say that his client isn't guilty. But it's just a hunch."

Hoyt nodded and headed back toward the ladder followed by Matt. He started down the ladder and the private investigator chuckled. "What's so funny?" Michael stopped his descent and looked up at his friend. "Oh, nothing, I just wondered how you had made it up." He grinned and started on down the ladder, all the while hearing Hoyt utter a few oaths that were aimed in his direction. When both men were on the ground and headed toward the front of the building, Hoyt looked over at Houston. "You know, you're a lot stronger than you look." Matt just grinned and chuckled, then looked at his watch. It was almost 4:00 am. "Are you done here?"

Hoyt nodded. "One of the other detectives is taking over inside. Why?"

"How about we get some bear claws and head over to my office? CJ called me right before you got up there." He motioned to the roof. "She couldn't go back to sleep so she got started on the list. Besides, I have to pay you back for the doughnut." With a smirk he walked toward his truck hearing Hoyt curse under his breath again. Finally the poor detective answered him. "I'll meet you there."

Matt called CJ as he left the crime scene and asked if bear claws would suit her mood. "Have you ever known me to turn down a bear claw? Really, Matt, you're supposed to be such a great detective…" Both laughed. "I'm bringing some company. Hoyt's going to join us. And if he says anything to you about your beloved husband stealing a doughnut from him, don't believe a word of it." He hung up and headed toward the bakery.

Michael showed up at the office in a few minutes and had a seat beside CJ on the couch. "How's it going?"

"Well, believe it or not, pretty good. So far the oldest murder date I've found is about a year ago – but it was in San Francisco." She continued her research.

"So Matt was right – not all of the murders occurred here." He was thoughtful for a minute. "You know as bad as it sounds, the murders of prostitutes don't always get the attention that other folks get."

CJ nodded. "And sometimes that happens because no one will talk to the police or there just isn't anyone to give a damn."

The lieutenant nodded. "It's a shame, just the same."

Matt walked through the door and rattled the box of bear claws. "Chow time, folks." He walked behind the bar and started pouring coffee. They all three had a seat at the bar and started in on the pastries as CJ filled Matt in on what she had found so far. He nodded with a mouthful of bear claw, and then swallowed. "So Hoyt, I guess the best bet is for me to just keep on with checking out the roofs of these places, right?"

Hoyt nodded. "Seems like the logical thing to do." All three ate in silence. Then the policeman elbowed CJ. "Can you believe that this guy stole a doughnut from me yesterday? A lousy doughnut!"

CJ put on her best attorney's face. "I'm assuming that you have proof of said charges, Lieutenant? Otherwise we may end up pressing a defamation of character case."

He looked completely taken aback. Both Matt and CJ busted out laughing as Hoyt started to splutter. "My God, you poor girl! He's ruined you, too!" All three continued to laugh.

Matt left the office about 8:00 am to start back to work on the roof situation. He joined forces with Cheryl Crawford again and even gave her a bear claw as a peace offering. "Is that a cop joke?" She gave him a big smile. "I don't know – you'll have to ask Hoyt – he already ate four of them this morning." The pair had decided to ride together that day so he climbed up in the passenger side. "Guess this means I get to nap in between apartments." "No way, buddy, you've gotta give me the directions." She started the engine and headed out of the parking garage and to the first apartment on their list.

After a long day of riding around checking roofs for eye bolts and interviewing apartment managers and maintenance personnel where they didn't find any, Matt and Cheryl were both glad when they reached the end of their list about 4:00 and were done. Other detectives as well as several cadets from the academy had worked on the rest of the list. He went back to the precinct and up to Hoyt's office when they were done and stretched out on the couch. Hoyt was out of the office and Matt was told he would be back within an hour.

The next thing he knew, Hoyt was shaking him by the shoulder. "Wake up, PI." Matt moved his ball cap off of his face and blinked up at the lieutenant. "Have a nice nap, did we?" As he sat up on the couch, Hoyt handed him a cup of coffee. "Mmph." Matt didn't manage to get out anything else right then. After a few sips of coffee he did manage a "Thank you." He looked at his watch: it was almost 6:00.

"I've been dealing with one J. William Detwiler who is trying to use every trick in the book to get his client released. Thank goodness Judge Appleton has some common sense and squashed him like the bug that he is." Hoyt took a sip of his own cup of coffee. "So how did it go?"

Matt pulled out a notebook. "We found twenty six more eye bolts. Ten more of the apartments didn't have one and out of those, only one of the managers or maintenance folks remembered that one was found when the roofs were replaced. The others said they didn't know anything about it." He yawned.

"They found another box of pictures in the storage locker haul. There were thirty six in San Francisco. I've been talking to a detective up there who now has the fun job of checking the roofs and interviewing folks."

Matt grunted. "So have you been able to question him yet?"

"No, no. His attorney claims that he's much too fragile to be questioned. But we'll get a crack at him tomorrow morning. Judge Appleton said so." He grinned.

"Well, I'm going to call and check up on CJ and I'm going home – with my fingers crossed that another one doesn't happen tonight."

"You know I didn't tell you what kept the judge from granting him bail. Got any idea?" Hoyt was still smiling. Houston shook his head no.

"The bloody fingerprint you found in the shower – and we've found his DNA in the last four crime scenes, not counting the one early this morning."

"Well, you won't find it in that one we know. He was locked up." Matt stretched and walked to the door. "See ya tomorrow, bud."

"Good night. And make sure to tell CJ thank you for all of her hard work."

Matt nodded and waved as he started out of the door. When he got to the elevator he pulled out his phone and hit CJ's number. "Hiya, babe. I'm leaving Hoyt's office right now. Where are you?"

"I'm about half a mile from the ranch. Boy you sound whipped."

"Well, I shouldn't. I just caught about a two hour nap on Hoyt's couch while he was gone." Matt pushed the button for the parking garage level.

"Alright, I'll see you at the house. Love you."

"Love you, too. 'Bye." He hung up, got into his truck and headed on toward home, hoping that he wouldn't receive another phone call in the middle of the night, but somehow having the feeling that he would. About halfway to the house, something started nagging Matt: he hadn't checked to see if any windows at the crime scene the night before were unlocked. He called Hoyt and asked if he had checked and he answered no, but that Charlie Mason had checked and none were unlocked. Matt swore under his breath. "I told you I had a feeling that the eye bolt hadn't actually been used." Hoyt agreed. "Okay, I'll let you go. Hope I don't see you later." "Believe me, PI, the feeling is mutual." Hoyt hung up.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

When the alarm went off the next morning at 7:00 am, Matt was pleasantly surprised that he hadn't received a phone call from Hoyt during the night. He didn't usually work on Saturdays, but this one was going to be an exception. He looked over at CJ: she had slept right through the alarm, which was unusual. Moving carefully, he slid out of the bed and went for a shower. When he got back to the bedroom, she was still sleeping peacefully and he decided that she was taking the day off. After dressing, he left her a note.

Morning Babe! You were sleeping good so I left you alone. Enjoy your Saturday.

Can't wait till tonight.

Love you!

Matt

He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and headed out the door.

Once he was at the office, he made coffee and called to check with Hoyt. He knew he would be working as well. "You didn't call last night so I'm hoping that nothing else happened."

"Nope, nothing. Looks like we got an uninterrupted night for a change. I'm just wondering how long our luck will hold." The lieutenant took a sip of his coffee and propped his feet up on the desk.

"What time are you planning on interrogating Bettenhouse?" Matt kicked back on the couch.

"Oh, well, his attorney, the illustrious J. William Detwiler isn't an early riser on the weekend apparently. We won't have the pleasure of his company until 11:00."

"Well, hell, I coulda stayed in the bed for a while." Matt silently cursed the attorney. Neither detective spoke for a moment. "Guess I'll come on over there and we can sort through what we have so far and maybe come up with a few more questions for Bettenhouse."

"Works for me. I'll be here, but there won't be any doughnuts for you this time." Hoyt chuckled.

"You'd hate to be a sore loser, Hoyt. After all, I did give you bear claws. See you in a few." Matt hung up and started for the elevator as his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID: it was CJ.

"Good morning, sleepy head."

"Good morning yourself. What's the big idea of ditching me?" She was sipping on a cup of coffee at the kitchen table.

"Well you just looked so cute and angelic laying there snoring I just thought you might like to have the day off." He stepped onto the elevator and hit the button for the garage.

"So what have you got lined up for today?"

"Hoyt is going to question Bettenhouse about 11:00. His lawyer evidently doesn't like to get up early on the weekends."

"I might just have to come down there and watch the fun. There's nothing else to do today."

"I'm headed that way now. See you there. Love you."

"Love you, too. 'Bye." She hung up and looked at the note that he had left her, then got up and went back to the bedroom and pulled down a box from the top shelf of the closet. Matt had no idea, but she had kept every single card, letter, and note that he had ever given her. Everything from childhood Valentine's to Christmas cards to letters when he was in Iraq. She added his note from this morning to the box and smiled to herself. One day she would show their kids the collection.

As Matt stepped on the elevator at the police station he was joined by none other than J. William Detwiler, the attorney for Bettenhouse. The lawyer appeared to be trying to convince himself that Matt didn't exist: he was totally ignoring him, which was fine with Matt who exited the elevator on the fourth floor and headed on to Hoyt's office. He stuck his head in the door and found the lieutenant looking through the files that had been collected on the case. "Come on in. I've just been looking through some of the goods we've got on Bettenhouse so far."

"Well, I think I need to go back home and take another shower. I just shared the elevator with his attorney." Matt made a face, causing Hoyt to crack up.

"Did he say anything to you?"

"No, he was trying really hard to believe that I don't actually exist I think." He took a seat across the desk from Hoyt and picked up one of the folders and started looking through it. "Oh, CJ called me right after I talked to you. She's going to come down and watch the show."

"Good. Maybe she'll get here beforehand and help us with some questions that might rattle Bettenhouse." Hoyt looked down at the badge hanging from his belt. It was covered with a piece of black elastic – a symbol of mourning his fellow officers who had died at the hand of Bettenhouse. "Fuentes' and Anderson's wives decided to have a single funeral for them – tomorrow at 1:00." Matt nodded. Neither man really wanted to talk about what had happened.

"Have you made an actual list of questions or are you just going to remember them when you get in there?" Matt stood up and walked over to the window, looking out on another perfectly beautiful day. He knew two ladies who wouldn't be enjoying it and the thought of it kept flitting through his mind.

"I've been writing them down – I figure there will be a lot of them." Hoyt pulled out his notebook and wrote down another one as Matt's phone rang.

"Hey."

"Hay is for horses, Matt. You of all people should know that." Roy was in a good mood.

"I take it everything went okay?"

"Yep. I'm headed back with all the goodies in my briefcase."

"Alright. What time will you be back?"

"About four more hours, give or take. We're going to have to study up on how to use this one – it's different than the ones that I'm used to – but maybe it's more like something that you've used before."

"Well, I guess there's one way to find out. You want to meet tomorrow afternoon and look it over?"

"Works for me. I'm going to take our "purchase" to the office and put it in the safe. Then I've got a date."

Matt chuckled and shook his head. "Alright then, but don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Roy laughed. "So I guess the possibilities are endless then. Talk to you later, Matt. 'Bye."

"'Bye." He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket and walked back over to pick up another folder off of Hoyt's desk and go through it. Then he remembered what he had wanted to ask the detective.

"Hey, did the lab ever get a match on the blood on that piece of black material that I found?" He sat back down in the chair.

"No, no match." Both men were silent for a moment.

"You know, it could be the accomplice." Matt looked at Michael. "I've been thinking about that. If our guy has been using the windows for an exit, is he going back up to the roof or is he lowering himself to the ground and slipping the rope out of the eye bolt once he reaches the ground?"

"Going back up to the roof could be pretty hard to do – it would take a good bit of upper body strength to do that – unless the accomplice is on the roof and is pulling. Not to mention the fact that it doesn't make sense. Why go on the roof in the first place?" He took a sip of coffee and leaned back in the desk chair. "Oh, and we got the blood work back on Chan-juan Chang. She wasn't HIV positive."

"What about Leticia Hollings?"

"She wasn't either."

Matt thought for a minute. "Do we know for sure that the Chang girl was a hooker? I mean, most ladies of the evening don't live at home with Mom and Dad, you know?"

"I wondered about that myself, so I called Lewiston down in Vice. He says she had never been arrested, but that they gave her a warning one time. They hadn't actually caught her with a john, so there was no real proof. But yes, she was."

The private investigator nodded. "So it would seem that not just HIV positive hookers were what our guy was after – but hookers in general." They both thought about that. "What about the cases up in San Francisco? Was it the same?"

Michael nodded. "Every one of them was a known hooker and they were all HIV positive." He stood up and started for the door. "Coffee?"

"Sure." Matt looked through another file as Hoyt went and poured a cup for both of them. When Hoyt got back, the private investigator was back over at the window looking out and appeared to be totally lost in thought. Hoyt started to hand him the cup of coffee and Matt hadn't even noticed that he was back in the room.

"Hey! PI! Snap out of it." The detective held out the cup of coffee when Matt finally came out of his reverie.

"Thanks." He took the cup and took a sip.

"Thinking about the project with Roy again, are you?"

"Yeah, sorry. We've just passed a major obstacle and now the reality of it is really starting to hit home." He crossed back over to the couch and had a seat.

Michael leaned back against his desk and studied the private investigator. "Matt, I know you're trying to do something good, but are you sure it's going to be worth it? I mean, you're really worrying about this deal, whatever it is, a lot."

Matt looked over at his friend and nodded. "It's a big risk, Hoyt. I've put up….well, $5,000,000 so far to get what we need to do the job. Now that we've got it, I'm just worried about actually making it pay off."

Hoyt almost dropped his cup of coffee. "Did you just say $5,000,000 dollars?" He was stunned.

Houston nodded and took a sip of coffee. "I did."

The detective was completely taken aback. "What in the hell are you trying to do, Houston? Look, I know it's none of my business, but damn man! I don't care if you are a millionaire, that's a hell of a lot of money to drop on something that may or may not pay off."

"I know." He looked over at Hoyt and laughed. "Too bad you can't see your face right now. That alone almost makes this deal worthwhile." Hoyt continued to look at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Well, it wasn't as much as it started out to be – originally the price was $10,000,000."

The police lieutenant slowly walked around to his chair behind the desk and eased down into it. "$10, 000,000?" He shook his head. "Now I know you're crazy. Look, I heard about what you did with Houston Industries right about the time we met. Turned it over to Murray to run to fund charities. And I know you took a big financial hit when you did that. And I know that you were still relatively well-off. But have you thought this thing through? Does CJ know?"

"She knows about the $5,000,000 – she got it together for me. She doesn't know what it's for – and I hope to keep it that way, at least until it's all over with." He sipped the coffee and looked up as the door to the office opened and CJ walked in. She looked between Hoyt and her husband. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Nope." Matt got up and gave her a big hug. "Not a thing. Hoyt wants to know if you have any questions to add to the list." Stepping behind his wife he gave Hoyt a look warning him not to talk about what they had been discussing.

Not missing a beat, Michael picked up his notebook and handed it to CJ. "Take a look and tell me if you have anything to add." She sat down on the couch next to Matt and looked through it. "Looks like you pretty well covered the bases."

"I thought you two might like to be in the adjoining room so you can observe through the one-way mirror. If you think of something that I should ask, call my cell. I'll have it on vibrate and I'll come out and talk to you. Sound like a plan?"

"Yep." Matt and CJ answered at the same time. Hoyt looked at his watch. "Well, looks like fifteen minutes to show time." The three of them started out of the office and went up the hallway. Matt and CJ went into the viewing room and Hoyt went into the interrogation room. Bettenhouse was due to be brought in at 11:00.

As they sat down in the chairs in the viewing room, Matt slipped his arm around his wife and gave her a hug. "Are you feeling all right?" He looked down at her and thought she looked a little pale.

"Yep, I'm fine. Why?" She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

"Well, you slept through the alarm this morning – I'm usually the one guilty of that." He smiled at her.

"Guess I just wanted a turn to be lazy." She looked up as Bettenhouse and his lawyer entered the interrogation room. "Looks like our show is about to come on. Dang it! I forgot the popcorn!" Both of them chuckled.

Detwiler was determined to try to run the questioning on his terms. As he rolled through a laundry list of conditions, Lt. Hoyt just sat there and gave him a look that would have made Goliath shiver. Bettenhouse looked like a blank slate: absolutely no expression.

As Hoyt began asking questions, the lawyer answered for his client every time. When Hoyt produced photos of some of the crime scenes, the suspect refused to look at them. Matt started getting a funny feeling as he sat and watched the events unfold. He leaned over and told CJ that he would be back in a minute and he headed back towards Hoyt's office.

"Sanchez, time to pay me for the doughnut." He clapped his hand on the young officer's shoulder. "I've got a little job for you to do." Matt leaned over and instructed him to take three cups of coffee to the interrogation room and gave him a message for Hoyt. Apparently he couldn't believe that was all that Houston wanted. "Yep, that's all. Now see, that was a cheap doughnut, wasn't it?" He walked back to rejoin CJ. As he sat down he quietly asked her if he had missed anything.

"No, not really. Detwiler is continuing his little game. Hoyt's not going to get anything out of this interrogation but another ulcer and a headache."

"Oh, I don't know, maybe some good will come of it." He put his arm around her again and sat back to watch as Sanchez knocked on the door. Hoyt was not happy for the interruption, but understood when the young officer told him that all of the doughnuts were gone and gave him the message from Matt. The coffee was placed on the table and all three men took a cup. Detwiler seemed to be particularly enjoying his as Hoyt sat down in a chair and loudly exhaled.

"Bettenhouse, I've got to give you credit. You certainly knew which lawyer to hire."

A smug look came over the attorney's face. "Yes, and I expect by Monday that my client will be a free man once again."

Hoyt raise his hands in a defeated motion. "Guess I should have stayed home today and cut the grass, huh? Oh what the hell, they were just hookers after all." He drank more of the coffee. Bettenhouse leaned over and whispered a question to his lawyer.

Detwiler nodded. "My client says that he would like to be returned to his cell now – unless you're prepared to go ahead and release him."

"No, they won't let me do that – just yet. Alright, gentlemen, you two have a good day." Hoyt walked to the door and called for an officer to return the prisoner to his cell, then walked back over and looked at the attorney. "Mr. Detwiler, I've got to admit, you're about the best I've ever seen." He stuck out his hand to shake with Detwiler and bumped the man's coffee cup, spilling the remaining contents all over the table and the floor.

"Damn! Sorry about that, counselor." Hoyt went back to the door. "Sanchez! Get one of the janitors up here; we've got a coffee spill." The prisoner was taken out of the room and his lawyer smugly swaggered out into the hall, then caught the elevator and went downstairs. When the coast was clear, Hoyt rapped on the mirror and Matt and CJ came into the interrogation room.

"Okay, PI. Mission accomplished. But why did you want me to do it?"

"Just a hunch, Hoyt. Call up one of the CSI's and get them to run DNA on both of the cups, will you?"

"Ooookay, any particular reason why?"

"Maybe you'll get the match for that piece of black cloth that I found." He took CJ by the hand and the two of them left together.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

As he followed CJ back to the ranch Matt had a feeling that he would be getting another wakeup call in the middle of the night. He had a hunch that Detwiler was somehow involved in the killings. The pompous lawyer had seemed to take great pleasure in answering each of Hoyt's questions – some with great detail: in fact, too much detail. Matt was sure deep down that the attorney was part of the killing spree. But he needed more than a hunch – he needed proof, and hoped that the coffee cups would help him to get it.

As he pulled up at the house and parked, large drops of rain started hitting the windshield. Matt got out and followed CJ into the house. He walked up behind her where she stood at the kitchen sink and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I had thought about saddling up Cricket and Lucy and us taking a ride up to the lake, but…" He motioned to the rain that was now coming down in torrents.

"Yeah, that's what I had thought, too. Looks like a good day to be inside." CJ turned around to face her husband, who leaned down and gently kissed her as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Guess it could be worse…" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and they both laughed. Matt kissed her again, this time a slow scorching kiss that made it clear what else he had in mind for their day and then he picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

A few hours later the rain had moved out and Matt left a sleeping CJ and went down to the barn to check on the horses. He spent some time straightening up the tack room and then started bringing hay down from the loft. Bo and Lamar walked in and began helping him.

"We got the fencing work done before the bottom dropped out." Lamar took a bale of hay from Matt and walked on down to the last stall in the barn and set it down.

"Good. CJ and I were going to take a ride up to the lake this afternoon but with the storm that rolled through that kinda got dropped." Matt climbed back down the ladder and sat down on a bale and kicked back. "What else have you boys been up to lately? Get into anymore poker games with biker girls?" He gave a big toothy smile and chuckled at his two helpers.

"Now dang it, Houston! You said you weren't gonna pick on us about them women no more!" Bo was getting red faced and Lamar wasn't far behind.

"That's right, you did. Them girls weren't playing fair – that's all there is to it." He had a hurt look on his face.

"Bet that's the last time y'all get into a card game with a gang of bikers." Matt was chuckling. "Well I'm going back up to the house. Y'all try to stay out of trouble, ya hear?" He started walking back up to the house and was still laughing at his ranch hands.

After a nice steak and baked potato for supper, Matt and CJ settled down in his recliner to watch old movies. Once again it started raining and as he started to say something about it to CJ, he looked down at her: she was curled up against him with her head on his chest asleep. He reached above his head and pulled down the afghan that stayed there and covered her up and went back to watching movies.

The phone rang about 2:00 am. Matt woke up in the recliner and grabbed the phone as quickly as possible to keep CJ from waking up but he didn't make it. "Houston."

"Here we go again." It was Hoyt.

Matt let out a groan. "Where is it?" Hoyt gave him the address.

"Alright, see you in a little bit." He got up out of the recliner. CJ was rubbing her eyes. Leaning over and kissing her, Matt said, "Be back as soon as I can. We've got another body." She nodded and watched as he got a pistol from the gun case and checked the load.

"Matt, be careful, okay?" She got up and gave him a hug.

"I will, babe. Love you." He kissed her again, grabbed a jacket and headed out to the truck.

After a thirty minute drive through the wet streets, Matt found the apartment building. It was an older complex and not in the best of shape. He was met at the crime scene tape by Rockbridge. "Here we go again, huh Houston?" Matt nodded and yawned then made his way up the steps to the third floor. Hoyt was waiting for him outside the door.

"Same song, millionth verse. She's in here." Hoyt led the way through the dirty and cramped apartment. There in the bathroom, lying under the dim light of a lone and bare light bulb was the victim. "Her name is Sherri La Porte, age 28." The condition of the body was pretty much the same as the others had been: multiple stab wounds and lots of blood. "She's HIV positive – the meds are on the counter."

Matt nodded and looked around the room. He turned on his flashlight to get a better look around in the dimly lit room. Mostly he saw dirt, but when he shone the light on the knobs of the shower, he saw something else. "Michael…" He motioned for the lieutenant to join him. "I think somebody got sloppy. Looks like blood to me, what do you think?"

Hoyt nodded. "I believe you're right. What about the bottles?" Matt swung the light over to shine on the bottles of shampoo and a bar of soap in the corner shelf of the tub. "Nothing that I can see." He reached over and felt the faucet. "It's cold." He thought for a minute, then went into the cramped little kitchen of the apartment followed closely by Hoyt. He turned on the kitchen faucet and …nothing happened. He looked at the police detective. "Looks like somebody's water got turned off." He looked over at the refrigerator and found a past due notice from the water department hanging under a magnet. "Bingo. Our boy couldn't clean up."

Houston walked outside the apartment and once again, just as he had a few days before at another crime scene, climbed up the railing on the balcony and up to the roof. Hoyt was right behind him. Sure enough, on the back side of the roof there was an eyebolt. Just like at the last crime scene it was turned differently. Matt went back down the railing and walked around the back of the building, carefully shining his light along the edge of the back wall. When he got up even with the window of La Porte's apartment, there in the fresh mud were shoe prints. "Gotcha." Hoyt saw them, too.

"I'll get CSI to get these first." He pulled out his phone and made the call.

Matt shone the light on the aluminum siding of the apartments. He could see smudges but without better light, couldn't determine what they were from. When Hoyt got off the phone, Houston shone the light on the smudges for him to see as well. "I'd say that might be blood, Lieutenant. What do you think?"

"I'd say you might be right. We'll check it out after they get a cast of the shoe prints." He looked at Matt and gave him a smile. "I think our boy picked the wrong night to go out and do his dirty work." Matt nodded.

After Charlie Mason showed up and took care of the shoe prints, he set up some work lights to shine on the back wall of the building. As he prepared to go up a ladder and take samples of the smears he looked over at Houston and Hoyt. "Fellas, I believe that's blood." He smiled as he began climbing. When he reached the stains he took several photographs and then samples. "Yep, it's definitely human blood."

Michael and Matt exchanged a grim smile. As they walked back around to the front, Matt was in deep thought. "So what are you thinking, PI?"

"I'm thinking that one J. William Detwiler is about to get "critter'ed"."

Hoyt stopped. "Is that really a good idea? We don't know for sure that he's…" Matt gave him a knowing expression. "Okay, so I'm with you and I think it's him. But…he's a lawyer."

"So is my wife. What's your point?" Matt began walking back up to his truck.

"My point is, if you get caught you could be sued…or you could lose your license."

"Nahhh, I won't lose it. It's in my wallet in one of those little plastic holders." He grinned over at Hoyt. "Besides, I'm very careful about my critters."

"I don't know anything about this, Houston, I CAN'T know anything about this, got me?" Hoyt automatically started reaching for the antacids in his pocket.

"So if you don't know anything about it why are you getting so upset?" Matt just loved pushing Hoyt's buttons when it came to situations like this.

"Okay, smart guy, but remember this: I recall another time where you told me that I didn't want to know what you were doing. Remember that? I do. I had to make the call to CJ and tell her that you were dead." He was referring to the time that Matt was investigating Meadowoaks Convalescent Hospital and had been shot by one of the orderlies at the behest of the crooked administrator. His heart had stopped and everyone thought he was dead, but it suddenly started beating again. "Curiosity killed the cat, Houston."

"Yeah, but I wasn't dead, so I guess satisfaction revived it, huh?" He went on and got into his truck and left for the ranch.

Back at home, Matt carefully crawled into bed with CJ, who woke up just enough to snuggle against him and then drifted back off. He lay there watching her sleep and kept wondering if there were going to be any kids. Of course, they could always adopt. But if they did, Matt was going to be up front about it: the man he called his dad, Bill Houston, had not been his father. The adoption was kept a secret from Matt for thirty years – until he met his birth father in Texas while trying to find out who had been stalking him. His father was Virgil Wade Mattlock, an old friend of Bill's. He had died taking a bullet that was meant for Matt right on the front steps of Bill's house. Matt tried to push the memory of that from his mind and pulled CJ a little closer, finally drifting off and dreaming of playing football with a son.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Matt woke up to the sound of the alarm clock at 8:00. He was supposed to meet Uncle Roy that afternoon at the office to check out the satellite that they had bought, but he wanted to get there early and do a little checking on Detwiler. The alarm woke up CJ as well.

"Going in to the office?" She was propped on an elbow watching as he stretched and tried to work a kink out of his neck.

"Yep, I've got to do some digging on Detwiler. Hoyt and I think that he's involved with these murders." He brought her up to date on what had happened overnight.

"Wow! Somebody screwed up big time." She got out of the bed as Matt headed toward the shower. "I'm going with you; this is just getting better all the time."

Matt stopped. "CJ, there's no need for you to go. I've got to meet Uncle Roy there this afternoon…" He wanted to say "and you don't need to hear about what we're doing" but thought better of it.

CJ stopped in her tracks. "Oh, and the little woman isn't wanted at your meeting, is that it?" He saw the sparks in her eyes and reached out to take her into his arms, but she pulled back. "Honestly Matt, I don't know why you're doing all this cloak and dagger mess. I'm your partner, remember? Both in the agency and here at home."

"Hon, look." He stepped forward and took her by the hand and they sat down on the bed. "I'm trying to protect you, okay? If certain people found out what we're doing, Uncle Roy and I would be targets. I want to try to keep this thing as far under wraps as possible. It's not that I don't trust you…" He brushed a tear away from her cheek. "I'm just trying to keep you safe." He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

CJ wanted to be mad at him, but she couldn't. She knew he wouldn't lie to her and she knew how much he wanted to make a better world for their kids. She nodded her head.

"Baby, I love you more than anything in this world…" He rubbed her hand in both of his. "CJ, I would lay down my life for you in a heartbeat, do you know that?"

She knew that he was telling the truth. "Well you better not do that because then I really would be mad at you." She gave him a grin, looking up into his eyes, and it was then that she saw that there were tears glistening there. "Matt, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" His lips closed over hers and they stayed that way for several minutes, neither one wanting to break the kiss. Finally Matt got up off of the bed and went to take a shower, not saying another word.

When he walked into the kitchen half an hour later, CJ had made him an omelet just the way he liked it: with jalapenos and cheddar cheese. She walked over and set the plate on the table and put her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, hon."

"I'm sorry, too." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and then dug into the omelet. "You know what?" He took another bite and then picked up his coffee cup. "We could dig up the dirt on Detwiler right here. And that would give us more time together here before I go meet Uncle Roy."

"Okay, that sounds good." She sat down and started in on her breakfast. Changing the subject she asked if Matt had talked to Bo and Lamar in the last couple of days.

"As a matter of fact I did – yesterday afternoon." He grinned and started laughing. "They're still kinda touchy about the whole girl biker gang poker game fiasco."

CJ rolled her eyes. "I hope they learned a lesson." She started laughing, too as she thought back to the phone call that Matt had received from the pair a couple of weeks ago, begging him to bring them some clothes after losing a game of strip poker to the bikers.

After finishing their breakfast the two went into the den and pulled out Matt's laptop that he kept at home. Using several data bases that they had access to, they started doing research on the attorney.

"Okay, here we go. John William Detwiler, age 35. Graduated from the UCLA law school, hah!" CJ laughed. "Well the illustrious Detwiler certainly wasn't in the top of his class. He was in the bottom third. Hee hee!" She looked over at Matt. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

"Well you know, not everybody can be as smart as you – Miss First in Her Class at Harvard." He put his arm around her and they went back to work.

"It says here he went on to work at the Phillips, Parham, Pressdale, and Pope Firm in San Francisco and ventured out on his own two years later. A San Francisco connection. Very interesting considering part of the murders occurred there, don't you think?"

Matt nodded. "What about his younger years? Let's see what we can find out about his family."

CJ hit a few more keys. "Hmmm, mother and father were killed in an auto accident when he was ten. He has a half -brother, two years younger and they were raised by their uncle in San Francisco." She continued looking. "Well this is interesting. It seems the uncle died when the boys were eighteen and sixteen. And… he died from AIDS." She looked up at her husband.

"See if the uncle had a record. I've got a feeling that we're gonna see a bust involving a hooker." He watched as she went to another database and began research on the man. "Yep, right there. Looks like he got busted…good Lord, thirty six times?!"

"Thirty six – that's how many hookers were killed in San Francisco, CJ." His mind was racing. "Did you see what the half-brother's name was?"

CJ hit a few more keys and then let out an exclamation. "It's Bettenhouse."

"Oh boy, is Hoyt gonna love this." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the detective. "Hey, you aren't gonna believe what we just dug up. Detwiler and Bettenhouse are half-brothers." He heard an exclamation similar to CJ's on the other end of the line. "And get this: the parents were killed in an auto accident and the boys were raised by their uncle, who died from AIDS. He had been arrested thirty six times for picking up hookers." More exclamations were coming from the other end of the call and Hoyt made the connection to the thirty six murders.

"So what do you think about my plan now?" Matt knew it would get Hoyt on his side. "Uh huh, that's what I thought. Alright, I'll let you know – or not, your choice." He winked at CJ and chuckled at the police detective's answer. "Talk to you later." He ended the call. "Let's see what else we can find."

That afternoon he headed to the office to meet up with Uncle Roy. Both men arrived at the same time and rode up in the elevator. Roy looked over at Matt, who looked sleepy. "Long night?"

"Not long enough, actually. I got another call to a crime scene last night." He explained the case to Roy, who gave a low whistle.

"That's just sick." They exited the elevator at the penthouse office and walked into Matt's office and unlocked the safe, removing the information and codes that Roy had bought from the Russian contact.

"This stuff better work or I'm going to be tracking your contact down, Uncle Roy." Matt had been worried about it from the get go.

"I'm reasonably sure it will work. He knows that I can find him again if I need to."

The two men loaded the program onto the computer in Matt's office, a smaller and newer version of BABY, the computer that was located in the main part of the office. "My Russian is a little rusty, how about you?" Matt looked at his uncle while they waited for it to load.

"Rzhavyy**,**" Roy replied.

"Bless you." Matt looked back at the screen. "Thank God, it's in English!" Roy just rolled his eyes and watched as the menu for the program opened up. "Okay, this is about like what I used in Army Intelligence." He clicked a few keys and up popped a picture from the satellite. "Okay, so…now we've got to move it where we want it." He looked at the code book and then hit a few more key strokes. "BOOYAH!" Matt looked around at his uncle, who was giving him a look.

"Booyah? Is that Army speak for "Oh boy, I hit the right button"?"

"Yup." Matt watched as the satellite began its journey to the area that they wanted to cover. "Hmm. This could take a while." He sat back and watched the slow progress for a couple of minutes, then got up and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Roy watched as he went out into the main part of the office.

"It's time for some coffee. You know what they say, "A watched pot never boils? Well a watched satellite never moves."

Roy chuckled and sat down to keep an eye on the progress that their new tool was making.

While waiting for the satellite to make its way slowly to the desired location, Matt and Roy discussed the Bettenhouse – Detwiler case. "So you're going to critter him, is that the plan?"

"Yeah, I need to find out what his schedule is like – that way I can critter while he's elsewhere. His house, office, and car should do the trick. Which reminds me – I need to dig out some critters. Six should get the job done." The younger man made the trip downstairs and gathered the critters together – adding a couple more to his stockpile. He made his way back upstairs and into his office to check on the satellite. "How much further, Uncle Roy?"

"Oh, about five hundred miles should do the trick." He swiveled around in the desk chair to face his nephew. "I haven't asked yet, but I'm assuming you're going to do a grid search?"

Matt nodded. "Seems like the best way to me, what do you think?"

"It's the most efficient way, given that we don't really have an idea where to start." He looked back at the screen. "The Russians definitely didn't build this thing for speed."

"Evidently not." Matt sat down in another chair and propped his feet up on the desk. He was thinking about his argument with CJ that morning. Roy turned and was watching him.

"She's not happy about this…" Roy motioned to the screen. "You're worried, boy. Tell me what happened." Matt shook his head no. "You can't lie to me, Matt, I know you too well."

"She got upset this morning because I didn't want her to come here this afternoon." He looked down at his wedding ring, then smiled. "Guess that's another milestone in my life: our first fight." His uncle nodded and looked at him, waiting for the rest of it. "We made up. It really wasn't that big of a deal, it just…" Matt hunted for the right words. "It hurt. I'm only trying to protect her."

"When this works out, believe me, she'll understand Matt. She's just afraid of losing you, that's all."

His nephew looked back down at the ring. "It just doesn't feel right, though, Uncle Roy. I tell CJ everything…I always have. She knows everything there is to know about me, and me about her. I've been sharing secrets with her since the day we met."

"I understand, but you don't want to make her a target, too, Matt. That would defeat the whole purpose of what we're trying to do."

"I know…but it still doesn't feel right." Neither man said anything for a moment. "Are we there yet?" Matt gave his uncle a grin.

"Boy, we've still got over two hundred miles to go. If you ask me that one more time I'm gonna pull you out of that back seat and tan your hide." Both of them cracked up and looked back at the monitor. Roy shook his head. "Damn Russians." Matt just chuckled.

After several hours of studying satellite photos, Matt and Roy left to work on Detwiler's office. Since it was a Sunday night, they didn't think that he would be there, and as it turned out they were right. But he did have a security system. After studying the situation for a few minutes, Matt determined a plan that might work, and quickly assembled a bypass of the system that did the trick and got him inside. Roy was in the van waiting to activate the bugs. Matt placed one near the secretary's desk, one near Detwiler's desk, and one in the storage room. He then slipped back out, locked the door and rearmed the system.

Once he was back inside the van, Matt checked the feeds from the critters and was satisfied. He and Roy cruised by the lawyer's house and Roy put a bug on the back of the rear license plate of his car. They rode back to the office and went their separate ways.

Matt got home about 9:00 and found CJ sitting in front of the TV folding laundry. He joined her on the couch and started helping her fold clothes while they watched an old movie. Neither one said much. After all of the laundry was folded, Matt sat back on the couch and pulled her to him. "Love you, babe."

"Love you." She put her arms around him and snuggled in. He could tell she was still a little upset with him.

"I'm sorry, CJ." He turned her face to him and softly kissed her.

"Me too, I just worry about you." She put her head on his chest. "It took us so long to get together – I just don't want to lose you now."

"You won't, I promise." Matt kissed her again, then got up to get his laptop and pulled up the critter on Detwiler's car. It was still in the lawyer's driveway. "Maybe there won't be a phone call in the middle of the night." They finished watching the movie and went to bed, Matt taking the laptop back to the bedroom so he could check on the lawyer if he woke up during the night. At 2:00 am the car was still in the drive and there wasn't a phone call.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Monday morning dawned, and CJ and Matt went to the office as usual. He and Roy would be planting critters at the Detwiler house later on, and in order to get a better idea of what they were up against. Afterwards, Roy was going to go back to working with the satellite.

About 8:30, Detwiler and his secretary showed up to work and CJ gave Matt and Roy the go-ahead to plant critters at the house. She monitored the goings on at the lawyer's office and had already broken into his email and checked on his web browsing. Nothing interesting had been in either one.

Matt put on his exterminator coveralls that he kept in the surveillance van and pulled out the sprayer. Working his way around the base of the house and up onto the back porch, he took a look around, then knocked on the back door. There was no response. He waited a few seconds before knocking again and there was still no response. Looking at the security system, Matt chuckled: it was just exactly like the one at the lawyer's office. He bypassed it, picked the locks on the door, and went about placing critters throughout the house. Going back out the door, he locked it, and reset the alarm before continuing to spray around the rest of the base of the house and going back to the van. Roy was already checking the feed from the cameras and they pulled away from the curb and headed back to the office.

Once they were back at the office, Matt stepped over the back of the couch and had a seat next to CJ. "Hey babe, did you find anything interesting in Detwiler's emails?" He put his arm around her shoulders as Uncle Roy went into the other office and started back working with the satellite.

"No, they were all just boring stuff – spam mostly. Nothing interesting on his browser either." She clicked over to the video feed from the lawyer's office. "I can tell you this: his secretary calls him every name in the book. She hates his guts."

"She must really need the job, huh?" He put his arm around her. "Have you heard anything from Hoyt today?"

"Nope, not a peep. You?" She leaned her head against Matt's shoulder.

"Nope. Guess that's a good thing – except that I was sure hoping to hear that he got a match on the DNA from the coffee cups and the piece of black material that I found." The pair sat there quietly for a moment. "Oh what the heck – I'll call and irritate him." Matt picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Well I wondered when you would call. Did you critter him?" The police lieutenant kicked back in his chair and propped his feet on his desk.

"Yep, the deed is done. Office, car, and house all three. And CJ has learned something already: his secretary hates him." Matt winked at his wife.

"Nice to know I'm not alone in that respect. I still haven't heard anything about the DNA. I'm hoping that will change before too much longer." Michael picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

"You and me both. Alright, I'll let you go. Let me know if you hear anything back on it."

"Okay, 'bye."

Matt hung up the phone and leaned back on the couch. "Guess we're kinda stuck in a holding pattern until the DNA comes back and we hear something on the critters." He sighed and watched the video from Detwiler's office for a few minutes, then a phone call came in.

"Mr. Detwiler, Mr. Bettenhouse is on line one." The secretary hung up and pulled a romance novel out of her desk drawer.

CJ leaned forward and turned up the volume. They could only hear Detwiler's end of the conversation, but Bettenhouse was clearly upset that he was still in custody. "Hey, just stay calm. They won't be able to keep you much longer – not with the murders continuing." Detwiler listened to his brother's reply. "Trust me, man; it's just a matter of time, okay?" He rolled his eyes. "My fault? How is it my fault that you got sloppy and left a fingerprint?" Detwiler drummed a pencil on his desk. "Look, you better keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you. I could just leave you in there to rot." He hung up on Bettenhouse.

CJ and Matt exchanged a look. "That right there could help us out, CJ. If Hoyt can question him without big brother there…" He left the rest unsaid as he picked up the phone and called Hoyt back. "Hey, we just had a little interesting tidbit to pop up on the feed from the office: Bettenhouse is getting worried that he's still in there and big brother just threatened to leave him in there to rot if he didn't keep his mouth shut." Matt listened to the lieutenant. "Yeah, that's what we thought. Think it would be worth a try?" He nodded at CJ. "Alright, we'll be down there in a few. Yeah, 'bye." CJ went to get her purse and Matt hit the button for the elevator.

A short time later, Matt and CJ were in Michael's office, planning the interview. "I think if we acted like Detwiler called the meeting and then he doesn't show up, it might shake him loose. Tell him that he planned it Saturday, but we haven't heard from him today." Matt looked at the other two who nodded.

"Sounds like it could work." Hoyt opened the door and they headed down the hall to one of the interrogation rooms. This time Matt went in with Hoyt and CJ was alone in the observation room.

Bettenhouse was already in the room and looked nervous as Hoyt walked in followed by Matt, who sat at the opposite end of the table from the prisoner. He plopped down in the chair and propped his feet up on the table as if bored.

"I don't know why Detwiler wanted me to be here today, I didn't actually do anything." Matt was acting disgusted and looked at his watch.

"I don't know, Houston, he said Saturday before he left the building that he wanted to meet this morning and that you needed to be here." Hoyt sighed as he sat down. "How's it going for you, Bettenhouse? They treating you okay?"

The prisoner nodded. Matt yawned and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. "Well let me know if he shows up. I'm tired and I've got a hangover."

Hoyt rolled his eyes at Bettenhouse who just grinned. "Want some coffee?"

"Sure." That was the first word that he had uttered without his lawyer present the whole time he had been in custody.

Hoyt walked to the door and yelled at Sanchez to bring two cups of coffee. Matt squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears. "Tell him to make it three will ya?" He opened his eyes and looked at Bettenhouse. "I swear that's the last time I drink tequila. Damn worm." He rubbed his temples as Bettenhouse laughed.

"Yeah, I love tequila. Nothing like a good margarita." He was definitely more relaxed.

"Now I wouldn't turn down the little senorita that came along with the bottle of tequila, mind you." Matt laughed and winked at Bettenhouse who laughed even more.

Sanchez brought the coffee and all three men sat sipping quietly for a few minutes. Matt looked at Bettenhouse. "You ever been down to Nuevo Laredo?" He grinned.

"Yeah a few times. They sure know how to put on a show, don't they?" Both men laughed while Hoyt looked confused.

"Don't worry, cop, you wouldn't appreciate it." Matt and Bettenhouse both cracked up again and Hoyt began looking bored.

"Where in the hell is this guy?" Michael looked at his watch. "We were late getting in here and I figured he'd be giving us hell, but now he isn't even here. You didn't tick off your lawyer did you?" He gave the prisoner a little laugh and took another sip of his coffee. Suddenly Bettenhouse didn't seem very jolly.

"Aw, Hoyt, you know how these damn lawyers are…the world revolves around them. They do things when they want to, you should know that by now." Matt raised his cup in a toast to the prisoner. The three men fell silent. Houston looked at the man opposite of him. "You DIDN'T tick him off – did you?" He sounded kind of worried.

"I hope not, I mean he…" Bettenhouse clammed up.

"Did he take your case pro bono – you know, is he working for you for free?" Matt leaned forward and a flash of fear went across the murderer's face. He nodded at the private detective who exchanged a knowing look with Hoyt. Both men got somber. "You know that happened to my cousin one time – he got pinched for something stupid and a lawyer took the case for free – then dumped him on the day it went to court. He did five years in prison." He swallowed more coffee. "And these public defenders they have? Pfft. They're the biggest joke there ever was. The quickest way to get put in the joint is to go with a public defender."

No one spoke for a minute, then Hoyt walked to the door. "I'm going to go call him." He stepped out leaving Houston and Bettenhouse alone in the room. Neither man said anything and then suddenly Bettenhouse blurted out, "He helped plan it all."

Matt looked up in surprise. "Your lawyer?"

"Yeah, he's my brother – well, half-brother actually."

"No kidding? Wow. So maybe he really did dump you." He gave the guy an almost piteous look. Bettenhouse swallowed hard and looked at the private investigator.

"What should I do?"

"Hey man, I'm not a cop." Matt turned to make sure the door was closed. "But I'll tell you this; if you don't have the money to pay a lawyer, you might as well make a deal with these guys, 'cause it looks like your lawyer has dumped your butt."

Hoyt walked back in then and shook his head. "His secretary says he told her a little while ago that he was going out of town. She doesn't know when he'll be back or where he is going."

Bettenhouse started sweating profusely and he looked at Houston. "Do you really think I should?"

Matt shrugged. "Do you have the money for a lawyer?" The prisoner shook his head no. "Then you're screwed, in my opinion."

Hoyt looked back and forth between the two as if he had no idea what they had talked about. While he was supposed to be calling Detwiler, he was actually in the observation room with CJ watching while Matt played the prisoner like a fiddle.

"Okay, I want to talk." Bettenhouse looked back and forth between Hoyt and Houston as if they were the only two people in the world who could save him.

Hoyt sat down. "Are you sure you don't want a lawyer here? I can go call one from the public defender's office for you."

"No, I'm just going to come clean."

Hoyt stopped him. "Before you do, I want to make sure you understand your rights." He Mirandized Bettenhouse again, who then started right back in on his confession.

"See this whole thing started because of my uncle. He had a thing about picking up hookers, see? And he did it – a lot. He wasn't particular about who he picked up either. That's how he ended up getting AIDS. Now John thought our uncle was the greatest, and he and my uncle both blamed the hookers for him getting AIDS. So they came up with this plan to kill them. That was in San Francisco. But before he could do it, my uncle died." Bettenhouse looked back and forth between the two men who stayed silent. "In San Francisco, they got a list of names from a clinic where some of the hookers went. John broke in one night and went through the records and got names and addresses. That's how it started." Hoyt looked at Matt. "I just want to make sure that you understand: my brother and my uncle were the ones who planned it all."

Hoyt nodded. "What about the women here? How did you two find out about them?"

"Classified ads, Waldo's List, cards that they put up in theaters… all over the place."

Matt's curiosity was getting the better of him. "Why the eye bolts on the roof?"

Bettenhouse looked at the private investigator. "To get out afterwards so nobody would see us coming out the front door. We would rig the rope up during the day and just leave it lying on the roof – nobody could see it. And then right before we went in and killed the girls, we would go up and throw the end of the rope down." He looked into his coffee cup. "I always thought that was kinda stupid, but that's how they wanted it done."

Hoyt sat down and asked, "How did you get on the roof?"

"Oh that was easy. We just picked the locks on the doors - or climbed a ladder if it was handy."

"Do you know who's next on the list?" Matt leaned forward.

The prisoner nodded. "Her name is Chrissy Valente. She lives in the Crawford Complex." He paused for a moment. "It's supposed to happen tonight."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

"All set?" Hoyt checked with the female undercover officer who was playing the part of Chrissy Valente. They were all set and waiting for one John William Detwiler to show up. Michael and Matt were stationed in a vacant apartment next door to the intended victim's. They had other officers stationed in the parking lot and in a couple of stairwells also.

"Yes, lieutenant." Sherry Ferndale checked her pistol one more time. She hid it under the pillow on the bed where she was laying.

"All right then, everyone keep your eyes open." Hoyt looked over at Matt. "This better work or both of us might be in trouble."

"Nah, not me." Matt grinned at his friend.

Everything was quiet and there was little movement until 2:00 am. Detwiler's car pulled into the parking lot. "The target has just entered the parking lot." The unit assigned to the lot informed the others.

Detwiler looked around somewhat nervously, then headed on up to the top floor of the six story complex and up onto the roof. Hoyt's spotter in the back of the property radioed that he had thrown the rope just as expected.

The lawyer's next move was to break into Valente's apartment. Matt was watching one of the monitors in the hallway: he had placed a critter where it would give a good view of the intended victim's door. "Not bad at picking a lock – to be a lawyer," he observed.

"I'll be sure to tell CJ you said that." Hoyt grinned at him.

"Okay, Sherry he's in the apartment, get ready." Matt and Hoyt both held their breath as Detwiler slowly moved toward the bedroom.

"Unit A is moving up to the door of the apartment." Hoyt and Matt moved into position just outside the door, ready to take down the lawyer. "Unit B, cover the window, he might try to go out that way."

The two men silently crept into the apartment and headed back toward the bedroom just as the undercover officer shouted out to Detwiler. "Freeze!" She held him at gunpoint. He bolted for the window and unlocked it. As the undercover officer got out of the bed, the attorney reached for the rope and started to swing himself out of the window and down to the ground – but his hand slipped. The rope quickly sped through the eye bolt and the lawyer was sent crashing to the ground head first.

"Unit B, have you got him?" Hoyt radioed the other officers.

"Roger that, Lieutenant, but you don't have to worry – he's not going anywhere. He's dead."

A few days later, Matt and CJ attended the arraignment of Roger Bettenhouse. He was being represented by a public defender. He looked at Matt and nodded his head. The judge asked for his plea he simply said guilty. The evidence against him and Detwiler was indisputable. The DNA on the lawyer's cup matched the blood on the black material Matt had found in the gutter on one of the roofs. Bettenhouse's fingerprints were on the knife that was found in the storage locker as well as the bottle of shower gel found in one of the apartments. And his DNA was found in the drains of four of the recent victims – more than enough for a conviction. Outside the courtroom Matt invited Hoyt to lunch and as the three of them got out of their vehicles in the parking lot, Hoyt's phone rang.

"He did what?! Well, I guess he didn't want to cost the taxpayers any more money. Thanks for letting me know, Sanchez." He hung up. "Well that's one trial we won't have to sit through – Roger Bettenhouse just hung himself in his cell." No one said anything for a minute.

"As bad as I hate to say it, I kinda felt a little sorry for the guy." Matt looked at Hoyt. "Don't get me wrong, he killed two officers and a bunch of women, but I really don't think he was mentally competent."

Hoyt nodded. "No, I understand where you're coming from, but I just keep thinking about the families who lost loved ones because of him and his brother."

"C'mon, let's go get some lunch." Matt put an arm around both CJ's and Hoyt's shoulders.

"Hey, Houston I've been meaning to ask you something. What were you and Bettenhouse talking about the other day – about the shows in Nuevo Laredo?"

CJ began to giggle uncontrollably. "Matt, can I answer this one?"

"Sure, CJ, better you than me." Matt was doing his best not to fall over laughing.

"Michael, just let me say this: there are some things in life that it's better that you don't know about. And believe me, this is one of them." She and Matt continued to walk into the restaurant still laughing, while Hoyt stood with his hands on his hips wearing a confused expression.


End file.
